


he talks like rain

by baeconandeggs, krissuwu



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Character with PTSD, Depiction of Anxiety Attacks, M/M, Past tragedy, Romance, Slice of Life, Smut, Soulmates, Violinist!Baekhyun, chef!Chanyeol, mention of past suicide, triggering themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:01:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 49,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24239221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/krissuwu/pseuds/krissuwu
Summary: Baekhyun’s life has been a series of unfortunate events, so finding Chanyeol half-naked on his couch should’t be any exception.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongdae | Chen, Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 118
Kudos: 540
Collections: BAE2020





	he talks like rain

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE255  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** Hello everyone :>), this is my first fest I’ve written for, but definitely not my first fic! I hope readers aren’t intimidated by any of the tags, but I understand anyone choosing to not read bc of them! I’d like to thank the mods for holding this fest, which is always so much to read, I’m happy I got to participate. I’ll also say thank you to my best friend for beta reading this fic for me, and making me laugh my ass off with the comments she left. I’ve made a playlist of songs i think go well with the fic, which I’ll share after reveals since my spotify username has my full name in it whoopsie. Anyways, please enjoy!!! :D

Baekhyun hated Vivaldi.

Objectively,  _ The Four Seasons _ was a masterpiece. Subjectively,  _ The Four Seasons _ was awful and overrated and Baekhyun should have never chosen violin performance as his major.

The orchestra was in need of a new principal violinist after Jinki graduated last year. There was no way in hell that pudgy-fingered Hyejin was getting concertmaster over him. Not when she’d fucked up her recital last year in front of Dr. Pierre’s friend from the LA Philharmonic. Baekhyun shuddered at the memory of the conductor berating the violin section for the rest of the year.

The violin part in “Winter” was iconic, so of _course_ it was the audition piece and Dr. Pierre was a grade A jackass. _“I bet that fucker hasn’t picked up an instrument since the Cold War.”_ He grumbled to himself.

Baekhyun took a deep breath. Just one more year in the university orchestra. Walt Disney Concert Hall was out there waiting for him.

Tomorrow, he had a job interview. He’d finally be able to save up for a new bow after two years of anxiously watching the fracture on his own grow larger every month. He wasn’t sure what working at a movie theatre entails, but nothing can be harder than this stupid ass Vivaldi piece that made him consider snapping his already fragile bow in two. His left eye twitched.

The distant sound of the front door opening startled Baekhyun out of his thoughts.

Baekhyun paused, fingers hovering over the strings as he heard the apartment door shut with a soft thump. Frowning, he checked his watch, the small golden hands reading 10:30 p.m. The sound was followed by a pair of muffled giggles, and he guessed his roommates were home from their night out. 

Setting his violin down on its stand, he stretched his hands out carefully, relieving his tense joints after hours of practice and turning his bedroom light back on. “Kyungsoo?” He called, voice coming out scratchy from disuse. There was no response. Frowning, Baekhyun stepped out into the hallway, padding towards the living room where the giggles were coming from. “Jong-.”

Baekhyun stopped abruptly, eyes widening.

There was a stranger lying on his couch, head thrown back over the armrest, eyes screwed shut and lips parted. What the  _ hell _ . 

“Uhm, hello?” Baekhyun spoke, clearing his throat pointedly.

Suddenly, Jongdae’s head shot up from behind the couch cushions, eyes wide in surprise. “Baekhyun! What are you-, I just-, we-.” He blustered. Baekhyun scanned both of them up and down, taking note of the wetness of his lips and the flush across the stranger’s face and neck. 

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun said awkwardly. He didn’t know what the hell else to say in this situation. Even after two years of living with Jongdae and Kyungsoo, he’d always managed to avoid Jongdae’s one night stands. Until now, for whatever reason.

“Uh-, he’s, I think he’s still at the bar.” Jongdae replied, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Your light was off, I thought you were asleep.” The man on the couch refused to make eye contact with Baekhyun, opting to cover his face with his hands. 

“Practicing.” Baekhyun said, his face burning at the way Jongdae pointedly leaned his whole body to cover the other man’s lower half. “I’m gonna get some water. Did you want anything or?..” He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck. He  _ knew  _ practicing with his lights off to help him memorize the piece was a dumbass idea.

“Yeah, uhm, I’m going to go use the bathroom.” Jongdae said quickly, pushing himself off the couch and causing the other man to let out a soft “oof.” He didn’t make eye contact with Baekhyun as he rushed out of the room to the hallway.

“Do you want something to drink?” Baekhyun offered the man on the couch. His brain was screaming at him to flee back to his room, but he didn’t want to seem rude. Even if there was a man he’d never met before on his couch with his dick out.

“Oh! That would be great.” The man said, his voice surprisingly deep. Well, not so surprising. Jongdae liked deep voices. 

“Water, or..” Baekhyun trailed off as the man’s eyes scanned down his body. He looked down at himself and realized he wasn’t wearing any pants. “Oh my God.” Baekhyun instinctively slapped his hands down to cover himself, internally cursing Jongdae for not giving him any warning about bringing someone over. He  _ knew  _ Baekhyun never wore pants around the house.

The stranger laughed softly, looking away from Baekhyun politely while the latter hurriedly pulled down his oversized pajama shirt far enough to make sure he was covered. “Yes, water please.” The deep voice said. 

Baekhyun nodded, cheeks probably a violent shade of red as he hurried into the kitchen. Once out of sight, he banged his head a few times against a cupboard. God, he should’ve gone back to his room once he realized his roommate was  _ occupied _ . Now he probably looked like some kind of pervert, standing there in just an oversized shirt with his thighs out in all of their pale and hairy glory watching Jongdae give the man head. He took a deep breath to collect himself before setting about to fill three glasses of water. 

“Guess that makes us even, then.” Came a voice from behind Baekhyun, almost making him drop the glasses he was holding. “Sorry about that, by the way. Jongdae said you’d be asleep.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Baekhyun muttered, handing the man the glass without meeting his eyes.

“I’m Chanyeol.” The man said. Baekhyun chanced a glance up into his face and was met with a lopsided grin that scooped a dimple into his cheek, and huge doe eyes that reminded him of Kyungsoo’s. “Jongdae and I had Lit together.”

“Baekhyun.” He set the other two glasses down on the kitchen table. Chanyeol extended a hand for him to shake. Baekhyun stared at it without making any effort to take it. He looked back up at Chanyeol, who glanced down at his hand, seemed to realize what he had been suggesting, and lowered it slowly.

“I know.” He said, unfazed by Baekhyun’s blatant refusal to make any kind of physical contact. “I’ve heard about you from Jongdae and Kyungsoo.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun replied for lack of a better response. 

They stood in a silence that felt utterly awkward to Baekhyun, but had no effect on Chanyeol. He didn’t seem bothered that Baekhyun had seen his dick out on a random Friday night, and the tent that still remained in his pants only made Baekhyun feel even worse. He was obviously still waiting for Jongdae to come back and finish where they’d left off. 

Thankfully, he heard the sound of the toilet flushing down the hall, and his dumbass roommate breezed back into the room. Wordlessly, Baekhyun handed him the glass of water, which he downed quickly, muttering a sheepish thanks. 

“Well.” Baekhyun said. “I think I’m going to actually go to bed now and listen to Shasakovich’s “Fifth Symphony” at full volume now.” He looked pointedly at Jongdae. “Goodnight.” He nodded to Chanyeol before hurrying out of the kitchen back to the safety of his room.

Once the door was shut, he threw himself onto the bed and screamed silently into his pillow. He reached for his airpods on the bedside table and quickly blasted the symphony, drowning out any potential noise that Jongdae would subject him to for the rest of the night. Rolling over in bed and pulling the covers over himself, Baekhyun opened his texts to update Kyungsoo on the situation. 

**You’re gonna have to sleep in my bed tonight buddy.**

**Fuck you, why**

**Did you not see our asshole best friend leave?**

**I’m traumatized.**

**What’s going on? I’m coming home right now.**

**Be careful when you open the door if you don’t**

**wanna see some guy named Chanyeol’s dick**

**He brought Chanyeol home?????**

Baekhyun bit his lip, staring at the screen watching Kyungsoo try to type a response for at least a minute. He thought better than to ask Kyungsoo if Jongdae had even told him he was going home before he did.

**Soo?**

**Are you okay? Do you need a ride?**

**No**

**I’ll take the metro**

Sighing, Baekhyun set his phone on the bedside table, pulling one of his airpods out to listen for any signs of Jongdae and Chanyeol moving to the bedroom he usually shared with Kyungsoo. He heard the sounds of a bed frame squeaking and shuddered, scooting over to the left side of the bed to leave room for Kyungsoo to sneak in when he got home.

Thankfully, his job interview tomorrow was early in the morning so he wouldn’t have to be there when Kyungsoo chewed Jongdae out about his sex habits. It was getting tiring being the middleman whenever his two best friends fought. Baekhyun knew this fight would be different. Jongdae had never brought someone home that was a mutual friend between him and Kyungsoo. 

However, the rest of his day would be filled with Kyungsoo berating Jongdae for being so reckless and how he was tired of being sexiled from his own bedroom, and Jongdae getting whiny and emotional because he “just wants to find his soulmate  _ so badly _ . It’s hard being lonely”. And Baekhyun would tell them both to just apologize, because they were  _ best friends  _ and loved and cared too much about each other to fight. Then the day would end with all of them watching some new popular movie that Baekhyun didn’t understand, piled up together on the couch, and all would be right in the world again. 

Right when Baekhyun was about to fall asleep, he felt the bed dip next to him, and he rolled over to see Kyungsoo burying himself in the sheets, his bald head sticking out. Silently, he took out one of his airpods and handed it to Kyungsoo, now playing “Shenandoah”. 

Kyungsoo took it, moving closer to Baekhyun and curling himself around him. Baekhyun rubbed his back soothingly, falling asleep to the soft sounds of Ticheli and Kyungsoo’s shaky breathing.

-

Unfortunately, Baekhyun wasn’t able to avoid running into anyone in the morning before he left for his job interview. He walked out of the shower, still toweling his damp hair, to find Chanyeol sitting on their living room couch watching the morning news. He stared, blinking. Normally, Baekhyun was the first one awake in the apartment, Jongdae and Kyungsoo following behind hours later. _ Several _ hours later.

“Good morning.” Baekhyun said, folding his arms like a disapproving parent.

Chanyeol jumped, turning his head to catch sight of Baekhyun. “Oh! Good morning.” He said sheepishly, reaching for the TV remote to turn the volume down. “Sorry, I didn’t think anyone else would be awake so early.”

“Job interview.” Baekhyun replied, taking in Chanyeol’s appearance this morning. He couldn't find any obvious marks on his neck or collarbones, and his short black hair was just as disheveled as when he’d caught him and Jongdae on the same couch just last night. “Did you have fun last night?” Baekhyun asked, lips quirking slightly.

Chanyeol’s whole face flushed red, including the tips of his ears poking out comically from his hair. “We didn’t do anything, if that’s what you’re asking?” He scratched the back of his head, looking away from Baekhyun. “Jongdae felt bad about you...seeing stuff, so we just played Mario Kart the rest of the night. I kicked his ass.”

“Oh. Cool.” Baekhyun said lamely. He felt kind of dumb now for trying to needle the poor guy. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything to Kyungsoo about them. 

Thankfully for him, Chanyeol wasn’t inept at social situations. “So, where’s the interview for?” He also made an impressive amount of eye contact. Baekhyun looked away.

“Park Cinema. Down on Rosemead by the Daiso.” Baekhyun tapped his fingers on his thighs. And by the McDonalds that he was definitely going to for breakfast, but he didn’t need to share that. 

“Ah, yes I know the place.” Chanyeol’s smile was knowing in a way that Baekhyun couldn’t decipher. “The cook there is fantastic, makes great food.”

Baekhyun nodded in return. Truthfully, he’d never been to the place, but he’d seen the job opening in the newspaper and thought it’d be worth checking into. “Well. I should get going, then.” 

Chanyeol’s smile was bright, showing more teeth than should be possible in the human mouth. “Good luck on the interview!”

“Thanks?” Baekhyun didn’t really know how to talk to people, so it came out more as a question than a statement. “Uhm, see you later.” He said before rushing out the door. 

As soon as the door was closed he smacked himself in the face. Why did he have to be so embarrassing? Why did he have to go and make Chanyeol feel uncomfortable like that? Baekhyun hated how often he found himself physically unable to control the words that came out of his mouth. Slapping himself one more time, he shook it off, jogging down the stairs of the apartment building. 

Park Cinema was only a fifteen minute metro ride away from his apartment. The building was larger than he’d expected, taking up the whole block with its own driveway in front of the entrance. The walls were covered with neon lights that Baekhyun imagined would give the place a retro feel at nighttime. 

Baekhyun pushed open the huge glass doors to find a sizable crowd inside, probably all lining up to see that new Speedy and Angry movie Jongdae had mentioned. Navigating through the throng of excited moviegoers, Baekhyun found the customer service desk where a tall man sat behind the counter, swirling around in circles in a desk chair, chewing on a pen.

“Hello,” Baekhyun said, startling the man in the chair. “I’m here for a job interview?”

The man in the chair looked Baekhyun up and down, not speaking. Baekhyun stared back, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly, the man broke into a smile, crinkling his eyes. “I’m Sehun.” He stuck a hand out for Baekhyun to shake.

Not wanting to be rude to a future coworker, Baekhyun took it. “Baekhyun.”

“Oh yes, I know.” He grinned up at him. Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. “There’s a picture of you, Jongdae, and Kyungsoo as Jongdae’s wallpaper.”

“How the hell does  _ everyone  _ know Jongdae?” Baekhyun groaned, rubbing his eyes. This is why he never went out. Jongdae and his endless circle of influence were  _ inescapable _ .

“College town, baby.” Sehun’s grin was naturally flirty. He reminded Baekhyun of Jongdae. Of course they would be friends. “Well, anyway, Mrs. Park’s office is over to the right by the ticket booth.” He gestured through the crowds of people towards a red door at the end of the lobby.

“Thanks.” Baekhyun smiled, turning to leave.

“Good luck!” Sehun called after him.

Baekhyun took a deep breath before Mrs. Park’s office. He knocked, and a cheerful “come in!” greeted him.

He opened the door to find a short, middle-aged woman standing up from her desk. Her eyes were large and friendly as she extended her hand towards Baekhyun. “You must be Baekhyun!” Baekhyun shook her hand, and she covered it with her other, clasping it warmly.

“Yes, I am. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Park.” Baekhyun replied, giving her his best smile. “Here’s my resume.” He handed the paper over to her. Hopefully, his total lack of experience in anything outside of music didn’t deter him from getting a job as a minimum wage worker. He’d made sure to beef up his school experience section to flex his musical achievements. Besides, Jongdae was able to get hired by Denny’s when he’d written his email down as “bonemaster@gmail.com”.

“Thank you. Please, take a seat.” Mrs. Park guided him to sit in the chair at her desk opposite from hers with a friendly hand on his back. “So what brings you to my theater? You’re a student I’m guessing? We get a lot of those.”

“I’m a senior at Azusa Pacific.” Baekhyun said.

“Oh Azusa? My son goes there too!” Mrs. Park exclaims, reaching for her keyboard and typing something into the computer. “He studies astrophysics, what about you, dear?”

Baekhyun stared blankly. Her son must be smart as hell. He felt a little intimidated when he responded, “violin performance.”

“Oh! Yes, I see that here now.” She made a few notes on his resume. “A musician! How wonderful.” She stopped typing to face Baekhyun with her friendly eyes, no sign of judgement there. Baekhyun was relieved she wasn’t one of those moms who liked to brag about their child’s achievements to everyone. “Well, I’d be glad to give you a job here. As a college parent, I completely understand the struggle of you students. What hours work best for you?”

“Oh! Well, I have rehearsals on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in the afternoons. So I’m okay with anything after three o’clock.” Baekhyun felt a rush of excitement. He could finally start paying for things himself. He had to stop himself from daydreaming about a brand new, beautiful bow when Mrs. Park spoke again.

“Okay then, I have you scheduled from four to ten on weekdays.” Mrs. Park turned the computer monitor to show Baekhyun her calendar. He noticed the boy from customer service, Sehun, was scheduled on the same shifts as him, along with someone named Jongin. “Does that sound good?”

“Yes, that’s perfect.” Baekhyun said eagerly. “Thank you very much, Mrs. Park.” 

They stood up and shook hands one more time, Mrs. Park seeing Baekhyun out the door. “You have a great rest of your day, dear! I’ll see you on Monday.” 

Outside the door, Baekhyun let out a heavy sigh. He’d never had a job before, but it felt like job interviews were supposed to be, well,  _ harder _ . Maybe it was different because it was a family owned business? In any case, Baekhyun Byun was officially an employed man. One more stressful thing checked off his list. Next up: concertmaster audition. Oh boy.

On his way home, he stopped by the McDonalds to treat himself to three double cheeseburgers and a ten piece mcnugget. Apparently, he’d forgotten to eat last night in between practicing and being traumatized by his endlessly horny best friend. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Speak of the devil.

**gudmorning baekkie :3 How was ur interview?**

**Hello hussie. I got the job. Is Kyungsoo awake yet?**

**congratz**

**yeah he’s mad at me and burnt my pancakes :(**

**plus chanyeol’s kind of still here**

**wtf do i do**

Baekhyun sighed. Everyone in Baekhyun’s life seemed to think he knew how to fix all of their damn relationship problems. Sure, he was right every time they came to him for advice, but why him? Clearly he didn’t know what he was doing.

**Just say you’re sorry and take him to get ice cream or something.**

**ew baek it’s like ten in the morning**

**I can assure you he won’t say no. :p**

Baekhyun tucked his phone away, ignoring his roommate’s protests. No more playing matchmaker for today. It was only 10:30, and he didn’t feel like going home yet, so he stepped into the Daiso to buy a few things for Jongdae’s birthday next week.

On the walk back to the Metro Station, he passed by Junmyeon’s office, where his friend from the orchestra, Yixing, was just walking inside.

“Hey!” Baekhyun called, rushing forwards as fast as his little duck feet could carry him. “Yixing!”

The dark-haired man turned around, his dimples making an appearance when he spotted Baekhyun. “Hey, Baek, what are you doing here?”

“My job interview was just down the street.” Baekhyun gestures behind him. “What are you doing at Junmyeon’s office?”

Yixing looks sheepish, biting his lip before responding. “I had a dream last night.”

“Oh?” Baekhyun raises an eyebrow. “Oh!”

“Yeah.” Yixing runs a hand through his hair. “I woke up and immediately called Junmyeon to make an appointment. He’s pretty excited he finally gets to help one of us find our soulmate, he says it’ll be the highlight of his career.” He laughs.

“Of course he is.” Baekhyun laughs with him. Junmyeon had been a therapist specializing in soulmate dream therapy for just over three years now. Whenever their friend group got together, he’d complain about how none of them had come to see him yet. Then he’d threaten to never talk to them again if they went to a soul-reader instead. “Do you have any idea who it is?”

“I think I do, I went out with Jongdae and Kyungsoo last night, and they brought some friends from school, so,” he shrugged, dimples reappearing with an excited smile. “It’s definitely one of them. We all shook hands.”

“Of course.” Baekhyun nodded along. An unfortunate custom in the world of soulmates; every person you meet tries to shake your hand in the hopes that they’ll trigger their soulmate dream. It’s always made Baekhyun uncomfortable. He’d never initiate a handshake himself, and would only take the other person’s hand in certain settings. Like a job interview. “Well, if you have to go in now…”

“Yeah, I probably should.” Yixing shuffled his feet around in anticipation. “See you in class!”

“Keep me updated!” Baekhyun waved him goodbye as he stepped inside the building. The violinist watched him leave with a smile. Now if only he could drag his baboon-brained roommates to see Junmyeon, too. 

-

Baekhyun was greeted with the sight of Kyungsoo and Jongdae snuggled up on their living room couch. “You guys look cozy.” He commented, setting his shopping bags down on the kitchen counter. 

“Did you bring home food? You smell like McDonalds.” Jongdae called from the couch.

“No, you pig.” Baekhyun snorted. He made his way over to the couch, kicking his shoes off and settling next to Kyungsoo, who was curled around Jongdae. “What are you watching?”

“Parks and Recreation.” Kyungsoo reached out to pull him into the cuddle.

Baekhyun grunted in protest, trying to push him away unsuccessfully, ending up tucked securely under Kyungsoo’s arm in their little cuddle pile. “I don’t even know what this show is.” He grumbled under his breath.

“Chanyeol showed it to us this morning and we’ve been watching it all day.” Jongdae said. “After we went to get ice cream.” He looked pointedly at Baekhyun across the Kyungsoo shaped lump between them. 

“Ice cream in the morning? Sounds awful.” Baekhyun glanced back at Jongdae mischievously. 

“It was great, actually.” Kyungsoo smiled. “Have you had peach sorbet before?” Jongdae winked at Baekhyun as his form of thanks.

Baekhyun spent the rest of the day watching TV with his roommates, listening to Jongdae moan about how he didn’t get laid last night, and Kyungsoo softly chiding him and lightly slapping his shoulder. Baekhyun watched them silently with amusement. Ever since he moved in with Kyungsoo and Jongdae and they’d had to share a bed the tension had reached an all time high. Baekhyun had known  _ long  _ before Jongdae drunkenly confessed that he was in love with Kyungsoo. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo never told him anything outright, but it was obvious the feeling was mutual, and that they were soulmates. He could just  _ feel _ it.

When he fell asleep, his roommates carried him to his bed, tucking him in and turning on his playlist for him. Baekhyun fell asleep to the soft ballad section of “El Camino Real”, excited about the prospect of his new job.

-

Monday, 3:50 p.m, Baekhyun stands outside of Park Cinema, with an entire kaleidoscope of butterflies in his stomach. Why did he think getting a job was a good idea? Baekhyun didn’t know the first thing about customer service, and everyone knows he’s god-awful at talking to people. Was it too late to escape? Maybe there are other ways to get the money. And-

A customer opening the door next to him snaps him out of his worrying, and he meekly follows them inside.

There’s not much of a crowd in the theater compared to his last visit, since it was a Monday. That was a good sign. The less people Baekhyun had to interact with on his first day the better. He walks over to customer service, searching for the boy from Saturday- Sehun?

Was that his name?

When he approaches the desk, he gets the biggest shock of his life. Well, not life, that was when he made concertmaster of the All State California Honor Band. Biggest shock of the week, then.

Jongdae’s friend from the other night, Chanyeol, is sitting behind the customer service desk, in conversation with Sehun. Baekhyun is two seconds away from running when Chanyeol notices him. “Hey, Baekhyun!”

Baekhyun grinds his teeth, turning back to face them. “Hi. I kinda work here now.” 

“Yes, I know.” Chanyeol sets his elbow down on the desk and tilts his head, his smile is mischievous in a way that is starting to irritate Baekhyun.

“Okay.” Baekhyun mumbles. “So, what do I do now?” His head was reeling. He thought back to Saturday morning, and Chanyeol’s cheeky expression when Baekhyun told him his job interview was at Park Cinema.

“First of all, you needa get a uniform.” Sehun spoke up from next to Chanyeol. “I can take you.”

“Thanks.” Baekhyun followed after Sehun, Chanyeol shouting  _ “see you soon!”  _ as they walked away.

Sehun led him to a closet type room behind the customer service desk filled with lockers and extra supplies. “So, that big horse back there had the honor to meet you before I did??” The tall man asked, flashing a pout in Baekhyun’s direction.

“Jongdae brought him over on Friday.” Baekhyun said, crossing his arms. Sehun used his keys to open a locker, digging through its contents with a hum. “It wasn’t a voluntary meeting.”

“Aww that’s not fair.” Sehun pulls away from the locker with a black polo shirt decorated with blue trim. “I wish Jongdae would invite  _ me  _ over.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he handed the shirt over to Baekhyun. 

“Oh, uhm.” Baekhyun stared at Sehun blankly.

“Kidding.” Sehun giggled, much higher than his regular speaking voice. “I already found my soulmate. Now take your shirt off.”

Baekhyun startled. “Huh?” The way Sehun spoke was giving him whiplash.

“So you can change, dummy.” The other boy giggled again, playfully slapping Baekhyun’s shoulder. “I’ll wait for you outside if that makes you feel better.” 

Baekhyun let out a long sigh as soon as Sehun shut the door. What the hell did he get himself into? He didn’t know if he could handle the combined forces of Chanyeol and Sehun. He’d only been there for five minutes and he was already exhausted. He hoped to whatever god existed that he wouldn’t be working with Chanyeol, at least. Not after hearing the way Jongdae had talked about him. Sehun wasn’t any better, but at least he was nice to the violinist.

He pulled the shirt on and looked at himself in the mirror. The fit was tight, accentuating his broad shoulders and wide hips where he tucked it into his jeans. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just a little different from the oversized shirts Baekhyun was used to wearing. 

Sehun whistled appreciatively when Baekhyun opened the door and stepped outside. “You look hot.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Baekhyun said, folding his arms over his chest self-consciously.

Apparently, no one was listening to his prayers. Sehun took him to the right wing of the theater, where his shift would be cleaning the theaters after movies ended. Standing in that hallway was the goofy looking Chanyeol himself, broom and dustpan in hand.

“Hey again!” Chanyeol greets him, his wide smile and dimple in their full glory.

“We’re working together?” Baekhyun asked, raising an eyebrow at the taller man. He shifted his gaze over to Sehun. “I thought.. You..” He trailed off.

“I’m the assistant manager.” Sehun smirked at him. “Have fun.” He left the pair with a swing to his step, Baekhyun helplessly watching him leave. They stood there in silence for a few seconds. Memories of Chanyeol on his couch with his dick out floated into his mind. He shuddered.

“I don’t think we ever properly introduced ourselves.” Baekhyun jumped at the sound of Chanyeol speaking. He turned around to see the taller man leaning against the wall, arms crossed and cheesy smile plastered on. 

“I’m pretty sure we did.” Baekhyun scoffed, mirroring his stance and crossing his arms, but without the corny ass smile.

“I meant without our dicks out.” Chanyeol chuckled wrly. Baekhyun felt his face burn. He’d been suppressing the memory of that embarrassment, thank you very much. “You have nice legs.” He winks and Baekhyun stares, speechless.

“Can we please, just, I don’t know,  _ work _ ?” Baekhyun says with a sigh, rubbing his eyes. “I’m already in shock being surrounded by so many people who know who I am, somehow.”

“Fine fine, I won’t bring it up again.” Chanyeol relents, crossing over to Baekhyun and sticking his hand out. Baekhyun felt a weird sense of deja vu. “Truce?”

Baekhyun stares at the proffered hand, feeling the same exasperation he did last time this happened. Chanyeol stares at him expectantly, and Baekhyun sighs again, giving in reluctantly and taking the taller man’s hand. Chanyeol’s hand is fucking huge, and Baekhyun reels for a second, a shudder wracking his body. It’s oddly warm too, bordering on hot, and the shorter man lets go in a hurry. He chalks up the weird feeling to his abysmal lack of human contact. 

“Alright, now we’re cool.” Chanyeol grins. Does he ever stop smiling? “Now pick up a broom and pan, theater 12’s movie ends in one minute.”

The theater they cleaned was small, and there wasn’t much trash left behind, but by the time they finished his arms were already tired. The only arm movements Baekhyun was used to was the movement of his bow across the strings of his violin. “What’s wrong with you?” Chanyeol asks when they take the trash out to the dumpster behind the theater. “Tired already?”

“I’m a violinist, not a manual laborer.” Baekhyun groans, heaving the trash bag over his head. “The most lifting I do is carrying my violin case from the Metro to the university.” 

“Mmm. Jongdae mentioned you played.” Chanyeol shuts the lid of the dumpster, leading Baekhyun back inside the theater with a skip to his step. “Better get used to it, this is basically your whole job.”

By the time the work day is over, it’s ten-o’clock, and Baekhyun is  _ exhausted _ . He’s never had to do so much work in his whole life. Chanyeol, true to his word, doesn’t bring up their awkward encounter, for which Baekhyun is grateful for. 

As they walk together to the employee lockers, Baekhyun suddenly remembers something. “Hey, wait.” Chanyeol hums in acknowledgment. “The other morning, you said the cook here was pretty great… you weren’t talking about yourself?” He asks, puzzled. 

Chanyeol opens the door for him, allowing him to walk in first. “Well, this is my mom’s theater, so I just kind of work wherever I’m needed, which is, most of the time, what we did today.” He wrinkles his nose. “I cook on Sundays sometimes, but I don’t get paid for it, because my mom thinks I shouldn’t get paid for my ‘hobbies’. Sunday’s the only day when the main chef isn’t here.” So Chanyeol was the son of the owner. That made sense now.

“Oh. Do you want to be a chef?” Baekhyun thinks back to his interview with Mrs. Park, where she mentioned that her son was an astrophysics major. “Your mom said you do astrophysics?”

“Cooking is more of a hobby for me.” Chanyeol laughs, but it sounds forced. Baekhyun doesn’t know how to address that nuance, so he stays quiet on the subject. He opens his locker, grabbing his shirt so he can get changed. Chanyeol does the same. 

Baekhyun is just about to ask if there’s somewhere else he can get changed when Chanyeol removes his shirt, startling the smaller boy. “Chanyeol!”

He turns back to face him, oblivious to Baekhyun’s whole face on fire. “What?”

“I-.” He starts, but closes his mouth. “Nevermind.” He grumbles, turning away from Chanyeol self-consciously so he can change his shirt too.

Sehun joins them by the entrance, allowing all the other employees to leave before he locks the doors for the day. “It was nice to finally meet you.” Sehun smiles sweetly at Baekhyun, scrunching up his nose and eyes into little crescents. “Say hi to Jongdae and Kyungsoo for me.”

“I will.” Baekhyun promises. He looks between the two tall boys next to him. “Now that we’ve met, I think Jongdae’s going to start dragging me out more to hang out with you guys.”

“Ooo, can’t wait.” Chanyeol teases. He punches Sehun on the shoulder, and gives Baekhyun a little wave. “See you guys tomorrow!” 

“See you.” Baekhyun waves back, and Chanyeol heads to the employee parking lot. He says goodbye to Sehun too, walking back in the direction of the Metro, texting his roommates’ group chat to let them know he was on the way home. Kyungsoo responds with a series of stickers congratulating him on his first day, and then promises to make dinner. Baekhyun smiles, feeling proud of himself as well.

-

That night, Baekhyun falls into a fitful sleep, catching snatches of a strange dream.

He’s sitting in a bright room, the sunlight through the windows so strong he can’t make out any other features except for the lines of the bed in front of him and the small lump lying in it. His voice speaks,-no, sings-, but it doesn’t belong to him. 

_ “The spring rain tickles me _

_ Tears are about to fall  _

_ Am I hurting or am I angry? _

_ I miss you again _

_ You’re my love, my dream, don’t leave me _

_ Can’t you see? We’ll be together _

_ Please, will you turn around just once? _

_ Come back to me _

_ It hurts so much but I can’t stop _

_ Cry cry” _

The words aren’t in English, but in the dream Baekhyun can understand them. The song repeats itself over, and over. Baekhyun realizes it’s in Korean, which is even stranger. His dad never got the chance to teach him his native language before he died. The light becomes too bright all at once, and Baekhyun jolts awake to the sound of his alarm going off.

Groaning, Baekhyun heaves himself out of bed, dragging himself to the kitchen. He pauses when he sees Jongdae standing there at their dining table, still in his pajamas. “Good morning?” Baekhyun rasps, voice thick with sleep.

Jongdae jumps, head snapping in his direction. He relaxes when he sees Baekhyun, rubbing his eyes with a sigh. “Hey, Baek.”

“Why are you up?” Baekhyun asks, sitting down in the chair opposite his roommate, who presses his lips together in response. “What?” He narrows his eyes at Jongdae, who shrugs, still unresponsive. Weird. Normally, he didn’t wake up until twelve, since he didn’t have morning classes. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t  _ do  _ anything!” Jongdae guffaws, sending a nervous glance towards his bedroom.

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun cranes his neck to see if he was on the couch. He wasn’t. So why was Jongdae-

“Kyungsoo kissed me!” Jongdae blurts out, immediately covering his mouth as if the bald man in question would come out and slap him for saying it. 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened. Now that was a development. “What? When?” He sputtered out, grabbing Jongdae’s arm across the table and shaking it.

“Last night before we went to sleep.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair. “It got kind of, uhm, intense.”

“Look at you, all nervous.” Baekhyun teases affectionately. “I’ve never seen you like this about anyone, it’s adorable.”

“Stop it.” Jongdae whines, but there’s a trace of an elated smile creeping across his face. “God, I’m crazy about him, Baekhyun. We didn’t talk after, but we did cuddle, though.” Baekhyun finds the flush on his best friend’s face endearing. He doesn’t say it out loud, but he’s relieved those two idiots are finally making progress on their relationship. Now they just needed to figure out they were soulmates. 

“I’m happy for you, Dae.” Baekhyun squeezed his hand one last time before standing from the table. “We can talk more when I get home, I gotta get to class now.” He doesn’t mention his dream last night, though he’s itching to talk about it with  _ someone _ , but he doesn’t want to bring down his friend’s good mood. 

“I’ll keep you posted.” Jongdae laughs softly, watching as Baekhyun grabs himself a sandwich from their refrigerator to go. They wave goodbye before Baekhyun heads out the door to his first class of the day.

-

Baekhyun’s first class of the day was Music Theory, which thankfully he shared with Yixing. Otherwise, he didn’t think he’d be able to survive the harmonics unit. Baekhyun failed Calculus in high school, why the hell did it have to be brought back into music, the only thing he considered himself good at.

“Yixing I’m tired of this, I’m gonna fail.” The violinist moans, banging his head on the desk in frustration. 

“You’re not going to fail.” Yixing chides, flicking Baekhyun’s forehead. “Harmonic series aren’t that bad! You just need to memorize the pattern, and how they correspond to each instrument!”

Baekhyun wrinkles his nose. So… basically he needs to catch up on the entirety of the last two weeks of lessons to pass the test on Friday. “That’s reassuring.” He sighs sarcastically. All of that along with practicing for concertmaster auditions, his new job, and keeping up his social life so he doesn’t get so unbearably lonely, which happens often. Great. He does his best to keep up with the lecture, but all the math is making him want to scream. He longed for the practice studios where he could play in peace. Playing always relaxed Baekhyun after a stressful day. Unfortunately, his time would be cut short with his new job waiting for him as soon as orchestra rehearsals were over.

The professor displays a chord on his acoustic guitar that strikes something in Baekhyun’s memory. The dream. He had yet to make sense of it. All of his ambition to pay attention goes out the window as he racks his brain for who the dream could have possibly been about. The only person he knows-well, knew-, that speaks Korean, was his father. Maybe the dream was a distant memory from when he was still alive?

Before he knows it, class is over, and Baekhyun has learned nothing.

“Yixing, I had a weird dream last night.” The violinist hesitantly says as he follows his friend out of the lecture hall.

“Like a soulmate dream?” Yixing raises an eyebrow at him.

“What? No?” Baekhyun sputters. He hadn’t thought about that. Whoever his soulmate could be is at the very bottom of his list of importance. “The person in it was speaking Korean, but I haven’t met anyone who does.” 

“Junmyeon speaks Korean.” His friend supplies wryly. Baekhyun snorts. They both know that isn’t an option, Junmyeon and Baekhyun have known each other since they were small. Plus, Junmyeon had his soulmate dream way back when they were in high school.

“Real funny.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “I...I think it was my dad with me as a toddler. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me.”

Yixing gives the violinist a look he can’t quite decipher. “Maybe…” He doesn’t say anything else, a slight quirk to his lips staying on his lips while they walk. “Wanna get lunch before rehearsal?” He slung an arm around the shorter man jovially. 

“Are you paying?” Baekhyun asked wryly. Yixing laughed, tugging them in the direction of the campus Starbucks.

-

Baekhyun set his stuff down on his chair in silence, ignoring Hyejin’s furtive glances in his direction. He couldn’t seem to get to rehearsal before her; she was always a step ahead of him- in more ways than one- it was almost petty. After years of being rivals, it was easy to pick up on all of her little mannerisms. He took his bow out of the case, anticipating the  _ “tsk” _ she always made at the sight of its dilapidated form.

“How’s “Winter” coming along?” Hyejin asked casually, not sparing a glance at Baekhyun, as if she were speaking to a fly. An unimportant, untalented, not concertmaster of the All State California Orchestra, fly. Baekhyun’s eye twitched.

Truthfully, he hadn’t practiced since Sunday, but she didn’t need to know that. “Fine.” Baekhyun said through his teeth, running his resin down the hairs of his bow. They were coming loose in the middle.

Hyejin responded with a  _ humpf _ . Baekhyun ignored her, running through his scales as fast as possible, just to get on her nerves. She may have a decent tone, Baekhyun can admit that, but his technique was by far the best in the orchestra, and he couldn’t let anyone forget that.

Baekhyun was saved from any form of rebuttal from his rival by Dr. Pierre taking the podium, informing the orchestra of the new piece they’d be learning this semester. “Tomlinson’s  _ 1st Suite of English Folk Dances  _ is a perfect piece for the winter charity concert.” He explained, handing the stack of sheet music to Hyejin to pass out to everyone. “I know we all hate doing Christmas music so we’ll add this piece just to spice it up a little.”

Hyejin handed Baekhyun his copy of the music. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of it. Dr. Pierre was partial to Clarinets since it was his main instrument, so he always picked music that favored the wind section, leaving the strings to play the accompaniment. 

“As a reminder for the violin section, auditions for concertmaster are this Friday, so make sure you’re prepared and go easy on my ears.” He joked. Hyejin shot him a glance that Baekhyun didn’t return, gripping his bow tighter. “You’re lucky I’m giving  _ just  _ you all the opportunity to audition, I could’ve done this like LA Phil does, and brought in other students. Be grateful.” Dr. Pierre ended with a pointed look towards the violin section. Baekhyun fought the burning urge to roll his eyes.

The piece they were given had six movements, each no more than a page or so long. They seemed simple, nothing Baekhyun couldn’t learn in a week.

After the music was all passed out, Baekhyun warmed the orchestra up, a smug smile set on his face. Dr. Pierre was letting the violins take turns leading the orchestra in the weeks leading up to auditions. Every time it was Baekhyun’s turn, he couldn’t help but throw a few well-timed dirty looks in Hyejin’s direction, which she only returned whenever it was her turn to be in Baekhyun’s place. He didn’t let it phase him though, nobody was getting in the way of Baekhyun becoming concertmaster.

-

“What kind of music do you like?” Chanyeol asked on Wednesday, breaking the silence of the empty theater they were cleaning.

Baekhyun startled at the sudden noise, almost dropping his trash bag. “Classical. Why?” He listens to Disney soundtracks, too, but that was Baekhyun’s best kept secret that nobody knew, not even Jongdae and Kyungsoo.

“Is that it?” Chanyeol tilts his head curiously and Baekhyun just shrugs. He doesn’t really know what else to say to him. “I mean, I heard you were a music major so I thought you’d like a whole bunch of music y’know?” He sounds oddly dejected, something Baekhyun also doesn’t know how to respond to.

“I’ve played violin my whole life.” He snorted, tying the trash bag and putting it off to the side of the theater. “That’s the only music I know.”

“So you mean classic as in, like, old as hell, right?” Chanyeol asked, tying his trash as well and placing it next to Baekhyun’s. “No classic rock?” He leans against the wall and folds his arms, facing Baekhyun.

“Uhm, not all classical music is ‘old as hell’,” Baekhyun used his fingers as air quotes. “Copland wrote his pieces in the 1900s.” He crossed his arms with a satisfied smirk, feeling like he’s won this argument.

Chanyeol wrinkled his nose at him. “That’s still old as hell.” He takes his phone out, tapping a few times then holding it out to Baekhyun. The violinist stared at the phone. He looked up at Chanyeol, who raised an eyebrow at him. “Put your number in.”

“Why?” Baekhyun frowns, his eye twitches.

“So I can send you music!” Chanyeol laughs, nudging the phone towards him again, encouraging the shorter man to take it. “ _ Someone _ needs to bring you to the twenty-first century.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, snatching the phone and begrudgingly putting his phone number in. He hoped Chanyeol wouldn’t actually text him that much. Baekhyun hated texting; he barely knew how to talk to people in person, how was he supposed to properly communicate through text?

“I’m gonna save your name as Dumbo.” Chanyeol snickers, quickly snapping a picture of Baekhyun’s annoyed expression.

“Hey, what the hell!” Baekhyun guffaws. He reaches to take the phone back, but Chanyeol quickly moves it out of reach, holding it above his head. “You fricking tree!” Baekhyun whines, jumping to grab it and missing by just a few inches.

Chanyeol laughs at him, leaning back against the wall, moving the phone even further out of Baekhyun’s reach. The violinist jumps one more time, but loses his balance, stumbling and landing on Chanyeol’s broad chest.

Baekhyun freezes up, his eyes locking with Chanyeol’s, the taller man staring back down at him with eyes wider than normal. The violinist had never noticed the little mole on Chanyeol’s nose, or the curve of his upper lip. 

Neither of them moved from their position. Chanyeol brought down his arm still holding his phone, chuckling softly. Baekhyun felt it rumble against his chest, snapping him out of his daze and shoving himself away from Chanyeol.

“Fine.” The shorter man grumbles, averting his eyes from Chanyeol’s tall form. “But I’m putting your name in as Yoda.”

“That’s fair.” Chanyeol runs a hand through his hair. Baekhyun’s eyes follow the movement before catching himself and stepping away to grab up their trash bags. The taller man follows Baekhyun out of the theater, slinging an arm around his shoulders as they walk together.

-

On his way home, Baekhyun gripped onto his phone tightly, anxiously anticipating a text from a certain bat-eared idiot. On one hand, he wants Chanyeol to keep his number in his phone, and never text it. But, the other side of him is desperately hoping he will. It’s been so long since he’s made any new friends, that the pool of people he called friends had decreased since last year.

When the metro stops in the residential area, his phone vibrates.

**hi.**

Baekhyun stared at his phone blankly. How eloquent. He wrinkles his nose before shoving the phone back into his pocket.

It takes fifteen seconds for it to vibrate again. And only five for Baekhyun to begrudgingly take it back out again.

**have u ever listened to David Bowie?**

**No.**

**Seriously??????????** **ಥ_ಠ**

Baekhyun frowned at his phone. Who the hell uses that many question marks? 

**ok, listen to the best album of all time**

**it’s called Let’s Dance**

**Okay.**

The violinist frowned, checking his watch. It was late, and he had to practice tonight. The door to the metro opened at his stop. He took a deep breath, digging his airpods out of his pocket and stepped off the train.

Baekhyun’s brain felt scrambled. He’d practice the piece for fifteen minutes, then take a five minute break to listen to a song off the album Chanyeol sent him. Then,  _ embarrassingly _ , he’d send the tall dork his review of each song.

It was weird. Baekhyun wasn’t  _ ignorant _ of other music outside of what he listened to per se. He knew what country music was, and pop. He’s driven around with Kyungsoo and Jongdae enough to know a few popular hits, and some of them were  _ enjoyable _ , he could admit that. The violinist just wouldn’t be able to tell you which artist made which song.

Once he finished the album, he set down his violin to deliver Chanyeol the final verdict.

**Okay I’m finished.**

**My favorites were Modern Love and China Girl.**

**YAYYYYYY (´∀`*)ﾟ**

**i’m proud of myself :))**

**would you listen to more stuff if i send u some!????!? ( ´･ω･)**

“What happened to the music?” Baekhyun nearly screams when Jongdae barges into his room.

“Jesus Christ, Jongdae.” Baekhyun presses a hand to his chest. He glances at his phone next to him on the bed, his texts with Chanyeol open and on display. “I got distracted.”

“Who ya talking’ to.” Jongdae spots his phone and dives onto the bed. Baekhyun yelps, snatching his phone away from his nosy best friend. “Who’s Yoda?” He props himself up on his elbows, dropping his chin in his hands.

Baekhyun pouts, sending a quick reply of “sure” to Chanyeol before responding. “Chanyeol...”

“Really? You guys are friends now?” Jongdae’s rectangular eyebrows shoot into the stratosphere. “Look at you, getting out into the world!” 

“Shut up he’s just sending me his weird music.” The violinist scowled. He glanced down at his phone to see Chanyeol had sent him a sticker of a fox giving him the thumbs up. To Jongdae and Kyungsoo, their antisocial best friend  _ willingly _ socializing with anyone outside of his bubble of five people was as groundbreaking as discovering life on another planet. “I don’t even know who the hell David Bowie  _ is _ .”

“You’re kidding me.” Kyungsoo deadpans from the doorway, making both of them jump. “You live with  _ us, how _ could you not know  _ any  _ pop culture?” He walks into the room, joining them on the bed. Baekhyun doesn’t miss the long look Jongdae gives the bald man that goes unnoticed by him. 

“I already get enough shit from Chanyeol at work, I don’t need it from you guys too.” Baekhyun folds his arms. “Besides, I’ve only been living with you guys for like, a year.” Kyungsoo hums in response, glancing at Jongdae in a way that sends a small spark of irritation through Baekhyun.

“Well, since you guys are friends now-,” Baekhyun glares at Jongdae again, “-you can come to my birthday party at Station, then, right?”

Baekhyun wrinkled his nose at his friend. “Jongdae, please.”

“But you haven’t been to one of my birthdays in two years!” Jongdae whined.

That was true. Baekhyun chewed on his lip. Last year he’d been deep in a depressive episode and had missed it. He sighed. “Fine, okay, I’ll go.” He loved Jongdae a lot, so he could tolerate making an appearance in public for him, just one day of the year. Kyungsoo prefered to stay in and watch movies on his birthdays, anyway.

Jongdae and Kyungsoo piled on top of their friend in response, squeezing him tightly, as if trying to hold on to him before he could run away and change his mind. “Wait! I wasn’t finished.” Baekhyun squirms from underneath the pile of roommate. “It’s...It’s not a club is it…?”

Kyungsoo snorted. “No, it’s not a club, you hermit.” 

“Leave me alone,” Baekhyun shoved his friends weakly, the gesture carrying no real force behind it. After a few more minutes of cuddles and squeezes Baekhyun allowed them to give, Kyungsoo and Jongdae let him be, blowing him goodnight kisses before heading to their joint room to do who knows what. Baekhyun scrolls through his playlist and puts on the softest music he owns, sending him to a night of peaceful sleep. 

-

By Friday Baekhyun was a nervous wreck. His concertmaster audition was in an hour. He’d told Sehun on Wednesday that he’d be late to work today, but the stress was making him ready to explode and he considered just telling him he couldn’t come in at all. 

Hyejin was in the practice room across the hall from him, the windows facing each other just so they could glare at each other. Thank God the walls were soundproof. He wouldn’t be able to stand hearing her perfect tone while he has to focus all of his willpower into making his frail bow produce something that was  _ at least  _ in tune.

Baekhyun’s phone vibrates in his pocket, snapping his focus away from “Winter”. He scowls, setting his bow down gently, and digs the phone out of his back pocket.

**where tf are u????**

Chanyeol. Of course. Baekhyun sighs before responding.

**I have an audition today.**

**u didn’t tell me? ಠ益ಠ**

**Sorry.**

He picked his bow up again, ready to restart the section he was practicing, when his phone chimes again. And again. And again. His eye twitches.

**what are u auditioning for??**

**wait u play violin right?**

**hello??**

**Concertmaster.**

Across the hallway, Hyejin glared at Baekhyun through the window. He blushed, quickly picking up his violin to resume practicing. His eye twitched again when he felt his phone vibrating more times than he could count.

The minutes ticked by, Baekhyun focusing on perfecting his audition piece, and soon enough, it was his time to go. He checked his phone briefly.

**:0 that sounds cool**

**i bet u’ll do great**

**we can celebrate at the theater i’ll make u dinner**

**anyways lol**

**good luck!!! ( ´ ▽ ` )b**

The barrage of texts were followed by Chanyeol’s favorite sticker of the fox giving him a thumbs up. Baekhyun leaves his phone with his things in the room, checks the tuning of his strings one more time, grabs his music folder, and heads towards the classroom where Dr. Pierre would be waiting for him.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Byun.” Dr. Pierre greets the violinist without looking up from the papers in front of him. 

“Hello, sir.” Baekhyun greets, feeling uncomfortable. He’d never liked the professor. The man was rude, and probably a little prejudiced. Him, Hyejin, and Yixing were the only students he called on by their last names. 

“Can I hear your B flat major, and chromatic scale, please?” The professor asked. Baekhyun felt his eye twitch. He was a senior in college for God’s sake! It was insulting to ask him to play scales as some kind of absurd measure of his ability. Senior in college or not, he still played the scales. “Great, now “Winter”, please, when you’re ready.”

Baekhyun took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a few seconds. He would be fine, he could-  _ literally _ \- play this piece in the dark.

When Baekhyun plays, he tends to get a little lost, and he forgets where he is. Everything flows naturally, music pouring out of him effortlessly. He’d been playing violin for sixteen years now, there wasn’t any piece he couldn’t make his bitch. Maybe Baekhyun’s “Winter” wasn’t as by the books as Hyejin’s was, but it was an extension of himself. Baekhyun played music the same way an actor played a character; every note was exactly the way _he_ felt, raw and real.

The last note of the piece rang through the room, and Baekhyun lowered his cracked bow. To his surprise, Dr. Pierre had looked up from his papers during his performance, something he rarely did. “That was… interesting. Thank you, Mr. Byun.”

“Thank you, sir.” Baekhyun nodded to him, shakily grabbing his music and leaving the room. As soon as he was outside, he did a little victory dance, almost slamming his bow into the wall in the process. “Oops.” He looked around the hallway and thankfully, no one was watching, and skipped back down the hallway to where his stuff was still in the practice room. He made sure to give the door to Hyejin’s room a kick before quickly ducked into his.

When he picked his phone up, he was greeted with a barrage of text messages from all his friends.

**From: Yoda**

**dumbo???**

**hello ( >_< )**

**oh ur auditioning lol**

**see u soon??????**

**From: Dae**

**hey babes can u bring home takeout uwu**

**oh good luck btw soo just reminded me**

**From: Soo**

**good luck baekkie i believe in you!**

Baekhyun bit his lip, failing to hold back his elated smile. He genuinely loved his friends for remembering today, he’d really lucked out in the friendship department. Chanyeol was a nice addition too, not  _ entirely  _ unwelcome.

**To: Dae**

**I have to work, too, idiot, do it yourself.**

**To: Soo**

**Thanks Soo, see you after work.**

**To: Yoda**

**Just finished my audition. I’m on my way back.**

Baekhyun packed up the rest of his stuff, still running on the adrenaline of a good audition. He didn’t even notice Hyejin on his way out, his head was so high up in the clouds, and he stayed that way through the metro ride to Park Cinema.

Sure enough, both Chanyeol  _ and  _ Sehun were loitering around the lobby of the theater when Baekhyun walked through the glass doors. “Baekhyun!” The taller of the two called out, waving his long arms around as if his lanky form wasn’t already visible enough. 

“Hi, guys.” Baekhyun waved back, the gesture smaller than Chanyeol’s had been. He couldn’t stop the wide smile breaking over his face.

“Someone’s in a good mood.” Sehun raised an eyebrow at him. “Did you get the thing you were auditioning for?”

“Concertmaster.” Baekhyun reminds him. “I don’t know yet!” He shrugged, still smiling. The two of them stared at Baekhyun in confusion. “It was a good audition.”

“Huh.” Chanyeol says thoughtfully, tilting his head, something the violinist noticed he does a lot while talking to him. “That makes sense, you  _ are  _ more chatty than usual. You sent me  _ two  _ sentences over text instead of one.”

Baekhyun blushes, quickly schooling his smile into a frown. “I can be talkative normally.” He hates how his socially awkward presence is the one quality everyone attaches to him.

“Well you better  _ stop  _ being chatty now and get to work.” Sehun snorts. “You can talk later.”

“No fun.” Chanyeol pouts at the other boy, playfully punching his arm. “C’mon, Baekhyun, let’s go do work and not speak to each other at all.”

“I would prefer that.” Baekhyun scowled, reluctantly letting the taller boy drag him off in the direction of the locker rooms.

After Baekhyun changes into his work uniform, he and Chanyeol grab their trash bags and barrels and get to work. As usual, the giant doesn’t listen to the violinist’s protests to friendly conversation. “So what does concertmaster mean? Are you, like, the final boss of the orchestra?”

“Final boss?” Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows.

“Like in video games where you fight the best guy last.” He explains. Baekhyun cringes at the analogy.

“Yeah, if I get it that means I’m the best. At least in terms of violin skill. It’s not comparable to cello or bass.” The violinist grumbles, sweeping a pile of spilled popcorn into a dustpan. 

“So humble.” Chanyeol preens, elbowing the shorter man. “You been listening to any new music lately?”

“I don’t know, has Holst  _ composed _ any new music lately?” Baekhyun bites back, feeling proud of himself for the comeback.

Chanyeol sends him a withering look, so out of character from his usual sunshine and dimples that Baekhyun lets out a rare giggle. “I want to be mad at you, because that was really fucking lame,” -the violinist scowled at him-, “but, I got you to tell a joke, so I’ll take that as a win. Chanyeol 1, Baekhyun 0.”

“I hate you.” The shorter boy elbows him back in retaliation, unsuccessful when the taller actually  _ cackles  _ at him. Baekhyun reeled away when Chanyeol tried to throw his arm around him. He stares up at the giant, frowning at his  _ stupid  _ dimples and  _ stupid  _ ears. 

“C’mon, Baek,” Chanyeol whines, reaching towards him again. The violinist struggles, but loses to the taller’s sheer strength of size, ending up stumbling along pressed up against his side. Baekhyun sighs, giving up on fighting. This past week has taught him that Chanyeol is  _ clingy _ , and it was hard to resist him when he looked at the shorter man with his huge eyes and huge ears poking out. Begrudgingly, he admits he’s starting to see why his other friends liked him so much.

By ten o’clock, Baekhyun is absolutely exhausted after his first week of work. Emotionally  _ and  _ physically. He hadn’t socialized this much in over a year, or worked this hard, either. Between rigorously practicing violin, hauling garbage bags all of the theater, and making  _ friends _ , it was all enough for Baekhyun to sleep until the next year. Unfortunately, time doesn’t stop for a sleepy Baekhyun.

“Hey.” Baekhyun stops Chanyeol when they walk past the theater’s bar. “You promised to make dinner for me. To celebrate?”

Chanyeol tilts his head to look down at him. “Huh. Well, there’s not really anything to celebrate right now, is there?” Baekhyun frowns at him in confusion. “You haven’t gotten your results yet.” He smirks, folding his arms.

“But you didn’t say I had to know yet!” Baekhyun whines, feeling his stomach growl in anger at the other man. 

“Sorry you didn’t read the terms and conditions.” Chanyeol shrugs, dimple digging into his cheek with his smile. 

“So if I don’t make it, then what?” Baekhyun folds his arms. 

“Guess you won’t have the honor of tasting the world’s best cooking.” The taller man snickers. Baekhyun scowls, punching him. Chanyeol only laughs harder, as usual. It seems like there’s no feasible way Baekhyun can annoy him, which only makes  _ him  _ more annoyed.

“Whatever, I don’t care anyways.” He didn’t. He was just hungry. That’s all.

“In all seriousness, though.” Chanyeol speaks up again once they reach the glass doors. Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at him, still annoyed. He runs a hand through his hair, and the violinist forces himself not to follow the gesture. “ _ When,  _ you get concert boss, or whatever it’s called, I’ll cook you anything you want. I swear.”

Baekhyun stared up at him, eyes wide. He felt something in his stomach fluttering around that he couldn’t put his finger on. He didn’t even have the heart to correct him for saying “concert boss”. “Oh.” He manages to stammer out, playing with the sleeves of his shirt. “Thanks. Thank you, Chanyeol.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ll make it, I’ve heard great things about your playing from Jongdae.” Chanyeol pats his shoulder in his friendly, Chanyeol-ish way. His hand is warm.

“Jeez, Jongdae talks about me so much, maybe he should be taking  _ me  _ to bed, instead.” Baekhyun blurts out before he could stop himself. Chanyeol’s eyes widen comically, and the violinist momentarily regrets breaking their truce, until he bursts out laughing, eyes shut and a full row of teeth on display.

“I like this version of you that jokes around and isn’t scoffing at me all the time.” Chanyeol manages to say in between his wheezing laughter.

“Whatever.” Baekhyun replies, failing to hide a smile at the taller man’s reaction.

Chanyeol 1, Baekhyun 1.

-

Baekhyun sleeps fitfully, catching glimpses of the strange dream from the other night, words he won’t understand when he wakes up, and a pair of dimples flashing behind bright lights before they disappear.

He’s woken up by Jongdae crashing around in the apartment, getting himself something to eat.. Baekhyun groans, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and taking out his airpods he’d accidentally left in last night. He hasn’t slept in this late in a long time. Grabbing his phone from the bedside table, he sees the remnants of his texts with Chanyeol last night. He’d fallen asleep in the middle of listening to a band the taller liked called The Cure.

**hello??**

**u there lol**

**omg did u fall asleep???** **༼ꉺɷꉺ༽**

**Sorry. I’ll finish the album later.**

Yawning, he stretched, popping his back and shoulders. The sound of giggles and a bed creaking came from the bedroom across the hall. Baekhyun shook his head. Maybe it would be a good idea to get out of the apartment for the day. His dream floats into his head again, giving him an idea.

**To: Yixing**

**Hey, I forgot to ask you how things went with Junmyeon?**

Baekhyun rolled out of bed, getting dressed while waiting for Yixing to reply. The plan today was to pay Junmyeon a visit and ask about his dream. Not that he thought it was a soulmate dream. The older man specialized in dream therapy, so he’d still be able to help him figure out what the hell this dream was about. Then, he would casually bring it up to his roommates, and suggest that they should visit Junmyeon too. It was all part of his master plan.

**From: Yixing**

**we’re getting closer!**

**Narrowed it down to two girls :D**

**That’s great to hear!**

**thanks baek! <3**

**By the way…**

**Do you know if Junmyeon is available today?**

**gonna ask about your dream are ya? ;o**

Baekhyun rolled his eyes at his phone, leaving his room and tip-toeing past Jongdae and Kyungsoo’s. He quickly replied to Yixing as he left the apartment.

**Not for the reason you think.**

**Haha ik, yeah he’s available he takes lunch at 11:30**

**Thanks.**

**np :3**

On his way outside, Baekhyun texted Junmyeon to ask if he could visit on his lunch break, and in the meantime decided to go to Lee’s Music to window-shop for a new bow, then pick up something for Junmyeon at a local coffee shop on his way over. On the metro ride over, Junmyeon texted him back.

**Yes of course!!! I’m so excited!**

**You’re finally coming to see me! I’ve been waiting**

**for this day to come :D**

**Don’t rub it in.**

**See you around 11:30 or so.**

Junmyeon’s office clinic was a small, comforting space decorated with plush, comfy furniture, and sculptures of rabbits littered on every surface available. It all matches the man in question’s personality, warm and comforting. Homey.

Baekhyun knocked on the door to his office, a cheery “ _ Come in!” _ sounds from inside.

“Baekkie!” Junmyeon greets the violinist when he steps inside. 

“Hi, Junmyeon.” Baekhyun steps forwards to hug his friend. He smiles partly because he missed his childhood friend, and partly because being near Junmyeon always brings him the satisfaction that there’s at least one person the violinist is taller than.

The shorter man pulls away, his eyes scrunched up into crescents from his smile. “I’ve missed you, Baekhyunee.” He pats the other man’s waist affectionately.

“I missed you too, Junmyeon.” Baekhyun smiles back at him. “I brought you coffee?” He hands over the iced latte he was holding.

“Oh! Thank you!” Junmyeon takes a sip, humming in satisfaction. “Why don’t you take a seat?” He steps away from Baekhyun, gesturing to the armchair set in front of his desk. Baekhyun settles into it, crossing his legs and folding his hands nervously on his lap. “So, you’re here about a dream?” The older man asks cheekily, raising an eyebrow at him.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, I swear.” Baekhyun frowns.

“Okay, okay.” Junmyeon waves his hands apologetically. “Tell me about it?”

Baekhyun takes a deep breath, and explains the dream to Junmyeon, emphasizing the fact that none of the people he knows speak Korean, except for the older man himself. “...And my dad too, but…” He trailed off, biting his lip.

“Well.” Junmyeon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You could have bumped into someone by accident, like brushing hands holding onto the poles in the metro? You do take the metro a lot.”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun sighed, folding his arms. “It feels like a memory? Like a really old one, because I can’t make out any of the details other than the singing part.”

“I hate to break it to you, but that’s how most soulmate dreams feel.” Junmyeon laughs lightheartedly.

“Well, there’s still the chance that it’s a memory.” Baekhyun replied defensively. “My mom said my dad used to sing to me when I was a baby, so I thought it, uhm, might be him.” He lowers his eyes to the floor, picking at a loose string on his shorts.

Junmyeon hummed sympathetically, leaning across the table to catch his eye. “Baekhyun, how old were you when your dad died?”

Baekhyun holds his gaze for a few seconds before looking away again. “Five.” He feels with a sense of dread where this conversation is going.

“Five.” Junmyeon hums. He reaches across the table to grab Baekhyun’s hand. “Baek, it’s really likely the memory  _ isn’t _ your dad. Children rarely remember things from that age as clearly as you’ve described it, and in your case, you shouldn’t remember it all. PTSD is notorious for erasing memories surrounding the incurring event. Especially since you said it was a different language, and in your dream you could understand what was being said, I’m gonna have to say this isn’t about your dad.”

The violinist sat silent, staring at where him and Junmyeon’s hands were intertwined on the desk. A small, deep part of him knew it wasn’t his dad. He’d desperately hoped it was him, though.  _ Any  _ connection at all to his dad was something he’d been aching for his whole life. “Okay.” Is all he manages to say. “Thanks for talking to me, anyways.”

Junmyeon squeezes the violinist’s hand again. “You can stay a little longer if you want…” Baekhyun shakes his head. He doesn’t like to feel pitied, even if Junmyeon offered out of love. “Okay. My door is always open, though, Baekhyun. For you, or any of your other friends.” He winks, attempting to lighten the mood.

Baekhyun appreciates the gesture, laughing lightly. “I have a couple of them in mind, I’ll let you know when I can finally drag them over here.” He squeezes Junmyeon’s hand one last time before letting go, and getting up out of the chair. “Thanks again, Myeon.”

The elder stands up too to see him out of the office. “No problem! Next time, I’ll buy you lunch, Baekhyunee.”

The violinist smiles, bringing Junmyeon into one last, quick hug before heading out the door, waving behind him all the way.

On the ride home, Baekhyun can’t help the sadness from seeping back into him, despite Junmyeon’s kind and comforting words. It isn’t  _ just _ the fact that the dream wasn’t his dad, it’s the prospect that it’s something else entirely. Something so unfamiliar and  _ terrifying _ that Baekhyun starts to feel dizzy, leaning onto one of the poles to ground himself. He doesn’t have the brainpower to delve into that thought now, so he buries it deep down to revisit some later,  _ much,  _ later time.

His saving grace comes in the form of a message from his phone, buzzing in his back pocket. He shakes the fuzzies out of his thoughts, taking the phone out, and opening his notifications.

**New eduMail**

**From: Dr. Pierre**

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, his heart rate picking up immediately. He took a minute to prepare himself before opening the message, taking a deep breath and biting his lip so he wouldn't scream in the middle of public transport.

**Good afternoon Mr. Byun,**

**Congratulations.**

**Your interpretation of “Winter” was truly extraordinary. I look forward to working with you as our new concertmaster. Additionally, I have some other musical opportunities scouted for you that we can discuss next week.**

**Regards.**

Baekhyun stared at the message, rereading it, and rereading it, and rereading it. He was in shock, the biggest shock of his life, really, even better than All State Honor Band. Baekhyun Byun was concertmaster of the best collegiate orchestra in all of California.

He bit down hard on his lip, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He wanted to scream, and cry, and tell the whole  _ world  _ all at once. For now, he settled on crying, hiding his face in his sleeve.

This day had been an absolute roller coaster. His head was spinning from the radical swing in his mood in just the past hour.

The metro door opened at Baekhyun’s stop. The violinist ran out, pumping his little corgi legs as fast as they could go towards his apartment. 

He burst through the door of the apartment, slamming it against the wall and frightening his roommates who were lounging on the couch together.

“Guess who’s the concertmaster bitches!!!” Baekhyun yelled at the top of his lungs, rushing towards the couch and tackling Jongdae and Kyungsoo. They wiggled underneath him, groaning in pain.

“Is it you?” Kyungsoo grunted, shoving Baekhyun away from him and rubbing the spot in his side where the violinist accidentally dug his elbow into.

“Yes!!!” Baekhyun cried, winding his arms around Jongdae and squeezing him tightly.

“Hey, bro, congrats, but you’re kinda crushing me.” Jongdae wheezed, patting Baekhyun’s back gently.

“Sorry.” Baekhyun pulled back sheepishly, brushing a hand through his hair. “Guys, oh my God, I did it!” Another wave of joy washed over him and he collapsed into the couch, burying his head into Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“We knew you could do it, buddy.” Kyungsoo giggles, rubbing Baekhyun’s head lovingly. “I’m  _ so  _ proud of you.”

Baekhyun sniffled, laughing and clutching his friend's shirt in his hands. “I’m so  _ happy _ .” He said quietly. He felt Jongdae shuffle back closer to him, wrapping his arms around the violinist’s waist from behind.

“You worked so hard, Baekkie.” Jongdae squeezes him. “What should we do to celebrate, huh?”

“Hmm.” Baekhyun straightens out, turning onto his back. Chanyeol’s offer to cook for him when he got his results drifts into his mind again and he smiles despite himself “I think we should watch  _ Sherlock _ together.” His roommates groaned in complaint, which only made Baekhyun smile wider. “I’m celebrating on my own tomorrow though.”

-

On Sunday night, Park Cinema’s neon lights were glowing, crowds of people swarming inside. Baekhyun navigated through them wearily, seeking out the customer service desk. He managed to reach it after dodging several loose children running around screaming, their parents nowhere in sight. 

“Hi, how can I help you?” Asks a tall, tanned boy behind the counter that Baekhyun doesn’t recognize. 

He blushed, glancing around to look for Sehun. “Uhm, is Sehun working?”

“Yes, he is!” The boy smiles, turning around and grabbing a disgruntled Sehun from somewhere out of Baekhyun’s sight.

“Hey, Baek, what’s up.” Sehun greets. “Have you met my soulmate, Jongin?” He wraps his arms around the tan boys shoulders, tilting his head to look at him adoringly.

“No, I haven’t.” Baekhyun blinks awkwardly at the couple. “Hi, I’m Baekhyun, unless you already know that.”

“I do know.” Jongin says, his smile warm and friendly. “I’ve heard a lot about you from-”

“Jongdae, yes, I know.” Baekhyun interrupts, used to having this same conversation by now. “That’s what everyone says.”

“I was going to say Chanyeol, too.” Jongin replies. 

Baekhyun feels himself blushing. Huh. That’s a new feeling. “Oh… Where is he, by the way? That's why I’m here.” He avoids eye contact with Sehun as he speaks.

“At the bar, I’ll let you in.” Sehun smirks cheekily. He gives Jongin a peck on the cheek before leaving the counter to join Baekhyun on the other side. “So what brings you here to visit that annoying tree?”

“We’re supposed to celebrate because I made concertmaster.” Baekhyun says. Just saying it brings another elated smile to his face.

“Oh, well in that case, congratulations!” Sehun claps him heavily on the back.

Baekhyun stumbles a little, almost running into a nearby family. “Thank you, Sehun.” He lightly bumps the taller boy’s shoulder with his.

When they near the bar at the back of the lobby, the violinist’s stomach flip-flops when he spots Chanyeol behind the counter, in a chef’s coat and apron, the hat perched on his head folding his big ears down comically. He slows in his tracks, suddenly second-guessing his coming here, and feeling uncharacteristically nervous. Sehun seems to notice, and decides to call out to Chanyeol. “Hey, Yeol, someone’s here to see you!”

Chanyeol looks up from where he was putting out a dish for a customer, and his large eyes widened. When he spots Baekhyun, his wide smile breaks across his face, putting his deep dimples on display for everyone to see. He waves and beckons the violinist to come over to him.

Baekhyun gives him a brief smile, turning to Sehun to thank him, then walks over to the bar. Chanyeol leans an elbow over the counter, resting his chin on his hand, tilting his head and watching the violinist approach him. “Hello, Dumbo.” He says.

“Hey, Yoda.” Baekhyun snorts. “Can I sit?” He gestures to the barstools at the counter.

“Of course.” Chanyeol beams. He reaches for a washrag to towel off his hands. “So, what brings you here?”

  
“Well,” Baekhyun bites his lip. “You said we could celebrate once I got my results…” The violinist tilts his head, mirroring Chanyeol’s positioning. “...And I made it.”

Chanyeol gapes at him, his mouth hanging open comically. “You did it? Like, final boss kind of shit?” 

“Yes.” Baekhyun laughs at him. “Final boss kind of shit.”

“Oh my gosh!” Chanyeol exclaims, causing the other patrons of the bar to stare at them. Baekhyun tries to shush him, unsuccessfully. “Congratulations, man, that’s great!” He reaches forward, taking the shorter man’s hand in his own.

Baekhyun stares at their hands touching, feeling himself blush for what seems to be the millionth time in just the last hour. Chanyeol’s entire hand engulfs his own, and it is  _ so  _ warm, Baekhyun feels like he’s drowning. “Thanks, Chanyeol.” He manages to say after a few seconds. “So, are you going to cook me dinner now or what?”

The taller laughs, eyes crinkling. “Of course! What would you like me to cook for you?”

“Uhm,” Baekhyun frowns, thinking. “Surprise me?”

“You got it!” Chanyeol winks, removing his hand from Baekhyun’s and disappears into the kitchen. Baekhyun tries not to linger on his now cold hand.

Baekhyun occupies himself on his phone while he waits for Chanyeol, re-reading his favorite parts of  _ Pride and Prejudice _ . Just as he’s getting to the part where Mr. Darcy hold’s Lizzie’s hand to help her into the carriage, and all the tension between the two starts building up-, a plate appears in front of him. He looks up, startled.

“Whatcha looking at?” Chanyeol asks, placing a second plate down at the spot next to Baekhyun.

“Nothing.” Baekhyun scoffs, turning off his phone and putting it back into his pocket. Chanyeol comes around the other side of the bar to sit next to him. “So what are we eating, here?” The violinist asks, staring at the plate in front of him. Truthfully, Baekhyun was a picky eater, and he had no idea what the hell Chanyeol had put in front of him. 

“Buffalo cauliflower with celery and cilantro with a gorgonzola cheese sauce, and split pea soup.” Chanyeol said proudly, pointing out the items on the plate to Baekhyun.

“Cauliflower?” Baekhyun peered at the lumps covered in a red-sauce laden shell. “I-I’ve never had cauliflower before.”

“Seriously?” Chanyeol gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. “Have you been living under a rock?” Baekhyun opens his mouth to retort, but the other man holds a hand out to stop him. “Wait no, don’t answer that, I  _ know  _ you have.”

Baekhyun scowls at him, picking up his fork and poking the little lumps around on the plate. “How do you eat these…” He mumbles under his breath.

Chanyeol chuckles at him. “Here, let me help you.” He leans over with his knife and fork, slicing the florets from the stems, and mixing them in with the cheese sauce drizzled on the plate. “There you go, buddy.”

“Thanks.” Baekhyun sighs, picking up the smallest stem he could find and bringing it up to his mouth. Chanyeol watches him with an expectant look on his face. He gives it one last reluctant look before shoving it into his mouth. It’s surprisingly crunchy, even more so with the small pieces of celery on top. The spice is fine, Baekhyun can handle his spices. It’s  _ delicious _ . The violinist involuntarily groans as he chews.

“You like it?” Chanyeol asks eagerly, leaning forward.

“God, yes.” Baekhyun sighs happily, picking up another piece on his fork and shoveling that down, too. “It’s  _ so  _ good.”

“Happy to hear it.” Chanyeol practically glows in the praise, starting to eat his own plate. Baekhyun puts down his fork, picking up the spoon to try the soup. It’s just as delicious as the cauliflower, and Baekhyun feels like he could melt from all the good food he’s being treated to. 

Once they finish all the food, Baekhyun leans his elbow against the bar, tilting his head to face Chanyeol. “Where the  _ hell  _ did you learn to cook like this?”

“My grandpa owns a restaurant back in Korea. My mom learned how to cook working there when she was growing up.” Chanyeol smiles fondly as he speaks, grabbing Baekhyun’s plate and stacking it on top of his own. “Then I learned from her. Circle of life.”

“Mmm.” Baekhyun hums, nodding. “When did your family leave Korea?”

“I was born there.” Chanyeol says as he reaches across the counter to put the plates on the other side. “We moved here when I was four, my dad got a job at the Griffith Observatory, he’s an astronomer.”

“Is that why you’re majoring in astrophysics?” Baekhyun asks, curious. “Instead of going to culinary school?”

Chanyeol pauses for a moment, not looking at the violinist. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah.” Baekhyun watches him, waiting for him to speak more, but he doesn’t. He just sits there drumming his fingers against the counter. “I like space.” The taller man says eventually, sitting back in his chair and finally looking at Baekhyun again. His eyes are shiny with something Baekhyun can’t quite decipher.

“Space is cool.” Baekhyun says softly.

“Yes, it sure is.” Chanyeol laughs.

A silence stretches between them, Chanyeol plays with his fingers on the counter. “You know… my dad was a chef.” Baekhyun offers. Chanyeol looks surprised to hear the violinist sharing something about his personal life. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, he was the executive chef at this super expensive restaurant in Orange called The Hobbit.” Baekhyun smiles, feeling nostalgic. Some of the only memories he retained from his childhood were when his mom used to take him on the long drive down to visit his dad on Fridays after pre-school.

“The Hobbit.” Chanyeol stares at Baekhyun like he’s grown another head. “Your dad… was the  _ executive chef _ at one of the best restaurants in southern California? Are you serious?”

“Yup.” Baekhyun enjoys the sight of Chanyeol’s wide, awe-struck eyes. “He was also on the cover of Forbes the year I was born, so there’s that.”

“Wow.” The taller whistles. “And yet, you came out being the pickiest eater I’ve ever met.”

Well. There it is. “I didn’t get the chance to try and of his cooking.” Baekhyun said quietly, looking down at his lap. “He died when I was five.”

“Oh.” Chanyeol says. Baekhyun nods, staring at the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Baekhyun sighs, straightening himself back up. “I’m the one who brought it up.” He sees Chanyeol still looks a little dejected, so Baekhyun nudges his shin with his foot. “But, if you ever want to go to the restaurant...My mom and I can get in any time we want. No waitlist.”

That seems to cheer Chanyeol up. “That would be great.” He smiles, and that makes Baekhyun feel better. “So,” Chanyeol taps his palms against the countertop. “Want some dessert?”

“That sounds great.” Baekhyun smiles.

-

Baekhyun’s first day as concertmaster goes just as smoothly as he might have expected. The whole orchestra claps for him when Dr. Pierre makes the announcement, except for Hyejin, of course. She ignores him, more than usual, playing over him as they rehearse the pieces for the next concert. His eye twitches periodically throughout rehearsal. It irritates Baekhyun more than it actually angers him. He can’t  _ wait  _ to get out of school orchestra; the people in it are abysmally unprofessional. All this unfriendly competition and snobby attitudes from kids with rich parents are starting to drive the violinist crazy. Especially Hyejin, who can’t seem to keep her personal conflicts outside of the orchestra. It’s all so  _ high school _ , Baekhyun looks forward to the LA Phil, where people care more about music than petty school things.

The rest of the week goes by pretty much the same as last week. He goes to work every day, endures Chanyeol referring to him as “Boss” now (which is still an improvement from “Dumbo”), struggles through music theory with Yixing’s help, and watches TV with his roommates for an hour when he gets home.

Jongdae’s birthday comes up quickly, and before Baekhyun is properly prepared for social interaction, he’s leaving work on Friday with Chanyeol, reluctantly following the taller man to his car. He’d offered to drive them both over to the bar after work, and Baekhyun begrudgingly agreed, happy to not have to ride the metro at night. They swing by the violinist’s apartment to pick up Jongdae’s birthday present, and head in the direction of the bar.

“What are we listening to?” Baekhyun asks, watching the streets flash by through the window. Chanyeol’s car is surprisingly tiny. And old. And a little smelly, like sweat and garlic. He’d watched Chanyeol try to hide the bag with his gym clothes in it.

“John Denver, baby.” Chanyeol grins. He drives with one hand on his steering wheel, his other arm hanging out the rolled down window, letting in the hot California summer air.

Baekhyun wrinkles his nose at the use of “baby”. “Is this country music?”

“Don’t be mean.” Chanyeol shakes his head. “All that country music they make now is different, it’s boring and stupid and  _ filled  _ with toxic masculinity.”

The violinist can’t help but smile at that. “What’s the song called?” He takes out his phone, hiding it from Chanyeol so he won’t notice him when he goes to download it.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Chanyeol answers. He starts singing along to the music, his voice pitchy and off-key, making Baekhyun cringe. “Best song ever, a cultural masterpiece.” He sighs whimsically. Baekhyun discretely adds the song to his playlist called “Songs from Yoda”.

They reach the bar, parking right next to Jongdae’s hand-me-down BMW. How a car like that could even  _ be  _ a hand-me-down, Baekhyun had no clue. 

When they step outside, Baekhyun feels nervous. He has no idea how many people Jongdae invited to this thing, or if there were any strangers coming. “You good?” Comes Chanyeol’s voice from in front of him. He’d opened the door to let Baekhyun in while the violinist was frozen with trepidation.

“Yeah, sorry.” Baekhyun shakes it off, walking inside.

The bar was definitely not whatever Baekhyun was expecting. It was built like a restaurant, a long room with small booths on either side, and a long bartop in the middle against the wall on the left. There were little flags hanging from the ceiling with different beer brands printed on them, and countless framed photos of sports teams and people Baekhyun didn’t recognize. “Oh.” He manages to say, looking around the place, pleasantly surprised. “This isn’t what I thought it was going to be.” He confesses to Chanyeol, who looked like he’d been here before.

“Let me guess.” The taller smirks, tilting his head to look down at him. “Never been to a bar before?”

Baekhyun blushes, opening his mouth to retort, when he’s saved from the impending embarrassment by Kyungsoo calling his name, approaching him from the bar. “Hey, Baek!” He wraps an arm around the violinist’s shoulder. “Hey, Yeol.” He nods to the taller man.

“Where’s Jongdae?” Baekhyun asks, looking around for the birthday boy.

“He’s in the bathroom,” Kyungsoo gestures towards the other side of the room. “He said he needed to empty his bladder to make room for shots.”

“That sure sounds like him.” Chanyeol laughs.

Kyungsoo gives the tall man an odd look, patting Baekhyun’s back before leaving to join everyone else at the bar. It looked like there weren’t that many people there. Baekhyun could make out Yixing, Junmyeon, and Sehun and Jongin, and a few girls he didn’t recognize.

“What was that about?” Baekhyun asks Chanyeol.

“Probably about the last time we came here, I’m guessing.” Chanyeol blushes, a color the violinist isn’t used to seeing on him. 

“Oh.” Baekhyun says, the realization hitting him.  _ That  _ night. For some reason, he blushes too. He shoves his memories of Chanyeol that night deep down before things can get weird. “Is he mad at you about that? Because he…” Baekhyun doesn’t want to say it out loud, on the slim chance that his hunch is wrong.

“Yeah, I think so.” The other man seems to understand what he was getting at. “Wanna go drink?”

“Sure.” The violinist says, following him to the bar where their friends were waiting.

“Baekhyun!” Yixing greets, followed by Sehun, then Junmyeon. “As per Jongdae’s instruction, monetary gifts here, and non-monetary gifts over there.” He points at two boxes placed on top of the bar. Baekhyun rolls his eyes, placing Jongdae’s present in the “non-monetary gifts” box.

“So.” Sehun says, taking a sip from his violently pink drink. “What are you drinking?”

“Whiskey.” Baekhyun says, hauling his short self up onto one of the tall barstools. “Please.” Chanyeol raises an eyebrow at him, taking the stool next to him.

“Yeah I’ll have a beer, please. Anything but Bud Light.” The taller man says to Sehun.

“Kibum!” Sehun calls to a man with bright pink hair on the other end of the bar. “Whiskey for the baby, and an Arrogant Bastard for the pussy.”

“Hey.” Chanyeol pouts at him. “I’m a lightweight.”

“Aren’t you driving?” Baekhyun turns to the taller man, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll pick up my car in the morning.” He brushes it off. “I live nearby.” Baekhyun nods, thanking Kibum when he brings their drinks over.

Just then, Jongdae comes back from the bathroom, his usual cat-like grin pasted on. “Birthday boy is back!” He calls to their group. Everyone raises their glasses to him, and he saunters over to Kyungsoo, stealing his drink. Chanyeol and Baekhyun share a look. “Anything here for me?” Jongdae says, peeking into the “monetary gifts” box. He smirks, seemingly satisfied.

“Shots?” Sehun suggests, pushing a glass in Jongdae’s direction.

“Yes, thank you, Hunnie.” Jongdae simpers, taking the glass and knocking it down. Jongin rolls his eyes at him flirting with his boyfriend. Sehun kisses his cheek in reassurance, passing out shots to everyone else, Baekhyun declining. He’s not big on vodka. Chanyeol refuses, too.

They all drink, and Baekhyun sips his whiskey to feel included. Jongdae orders another round, and Yixing approaches Baekhyun, hand in hand with a blond girl the violinist has never met before. “Baek,” Yixing smiles proudly. “This is Yongsun, my soulmate.”

“Oh! Hello, nice to meet you.” Baekhyun replies. She smiles at him, which scrunches her face up, reminding the violinist of Junmyeon.

“Likewise.” She says.

“So, when did you find out?” Baekhyun asks, turning back to Yixing. “You said you would keep me updated!”

“I know, I know.” Yixing says. “But, we just figured this all out this week, and I thought we could just introduce her tonight with everyone here.”

“Your friend Junmyeon is a life-saver.” Yongsun beams, leaning into her soulmate’s side. “I don’t think we could have  _ ever  _ found each other without him! He was so thrilled to finally help one of his friends. Have you ever considered seeing him for help?”

“Yes, I’ve heard he’s the best at what he does.” Baekhyun says politely, starting to feel uncomfortable. Baekhyun and soulmates were a touchy topic, one he wasn’t willing to talk about, especially not in front of people who don’t know him. “So, you guys are going out now or…?”

Yixing picks up on the change in subject when Yongsun doesn’t. “We’re just getting to know each other right now, but so far so good, right?” He nudges his soulmate lightly.

“Yeah, taking things slow.” Yongsun looks confused, but doesn’t press the issue, for which Baekhyun is grateful. “Well, it was nice to meet you.” She waves goodbye to him as Kibum places a row of shot glasses on the counter. 

Baekhyun heaves a sigh of relief when they’re gone, looking down into a drink. “This is why I don’t go out.” He mumbles to himself.

“What was that all about?” Chanyeol says from his spot next to him. The violinist jumps; he’d almost forgotten the taller man was there.   
  


“Were you eavesdropping?” Baekhyun scowls at him. “Nosy.”

“I’m sitting right next to you, chill out.” Chanyeol retorts. “So, what’s up with you and soulmates?”

Baekhyun frowns, avoiding Chanyeol’s eyes. “I just don’t like talking about it, it’s not that big of a deal and I don’t know why everyone thinks it is.”

There’s a moment of silence between the two. “Okay,” Chanyeol finally says. “That’s okay.” Baekhyun looks up at him, surprised. “We don’t have to talk about it, this is supposed to be a birthday party, after all.” He sends the violinist his signature bright grin, his eyes drawn to the dimple in his cheek. “Come on, let’s play pool. There’s a table in the back of the bar.” Baekhyun downs the rest of his drink, getting up to follow the taller man. He feels grateful to him for not questioning him further. People always thought Baekhyun was weird for his opinions on soulmates, and it just encouraged him to tighten his circle of people even more than it already was, but maybe there was room for one more person inside it.

Turns out, Baekhyun has a natural gift for pool. It must have something to do with how the cue is held, the precision it takes to hit the balls just right similar to holding a bow. Jongdae and Kyungsoo join them once Chanyeol teaches him the basics. He kicks all of their asses, Chanyeol first, then his other two friends. Junmyeon stopped by to watch for a while, but refused to play against Baekhyun after seeing him wipe the floor with Jongdae. After an hour or so, they start getting burnt out from Baekhyun’s gloating.

“Any other  _ losers  _ want to try and best me?” He laughs drunkenly. Jongdae kept bringing them more drinks periodically to make himself feel better, and Baekhyun drank because beating his friends made him feel great.

“You’re ruining my birthday.” Jongdae moans from where he's slumped against the pool table after a brutal defeat. “You shouldn’t be allowed to play. I feel like it’s unfair.”

“To who?” Baekhyun snorts, leaning against the cue.

“My ego.” He sniffs, wiping fake tears from his eyes. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo grunt in agreement, both of them sitting on the sofa against the wall, pouting.

“It’s not my fault I’m better than you guys.” Baekhyun pouts, knocking a ball into one of the pockets to show off. “I’m sleepy.” He says, setting the cue down on the ground and sitting next to it. “Yeeeoooll can you drive me home?” He tilts his head back to look at Chanyeol hopefully. 

“Okay, let’s go.” Chanyeol tries to get up, failing miserably and slumping back down against the couch.

“You’re not going anywhere near that car.” Kyungsoo scolds, being the most sober out of all the people in the room. “You’re  _ all  _ walking home to sober up.” He folds his arms, standing up with ease. The drunks on the ground all whine in protest, but the bald man pays no attention to their pleading. He somehow manages to haul Chanyeol’s huge lump of a body up, shoving the man towards the door. Baekhyun reached a hand up towards the man, who obliges him. The violinist’s head spins, and he stumbles on his feet. Kyungsoo picks up Jongdae next, much more gently, and wraps an arm around his waist, guiding him around to say good night and thank you to all his friends. He then directs Baekhyun and Chanyeol to help carry the gift boxes, to much protest from the two. 

Outside, it’s still warm, the street empty. Chanyeol tries to walk towards his car, but Kyungsoo pulls him back by his shirt collar. 

Baekhyun waddles around unsteadily, looking up at the sky. “Chanyeol, look, there’s stars!” He calls to the other man, pointing at the bright spots in the sky.

“Woah.” Chanyeol looks up too, bumping into Baekhyun while they walk.

“Pay attention, you’ll get run over!” Kyungsoo snaps at them. 

“Sorry.” Baekhyun mumbles, following after the bald man. 

“Chanyeol, your apartment is the other way.” Kyungsoo calls over his shoulder.

The tall man stops, looking confused for a second. “Oh. Yeah.” He looks behind him, and it might just be Baekhyun’s drunk brain seeing things, but he looks sad to leave them. He turns back around, looking down at Baekhyun. The violinist couldn’t take his eyes off of Chanyeol. Maybe it’s the fact that they were under a street lamp at night, and there was a full moon above them. It was…weird.

“Bye bye Baekhyunee.” Chanyeol says, stacking the box with Jongdae’s presents he’d been carrying on top of Baekhyun’s, reaching up and awkwardly patting the top of his head. His hand is so big it encompasses his entire head.

“Bye.” Baekhyun says, shaking his head off when Chanyeol removes his hand.

The taller man stumbles backwards, waving at him, before turning back around, making his way back to wherever he lived.

The walk back home manages to sober up Baekhyun and Jongdae, but the birthday boy in question still insists on having Kyungsoo hold him while they walk. Baekhyun trails behind, feeling like he’s third wheeling with his own best friends. As soon as they get home, Baekhyun shuts himself in his room, curling up under his sheets in a little cocoon. He doesn’t dream.

-

At rehearsal on Monday, Baekhyun is disheveled and disoriented. “What’s wrong with you, today?” Yixing asks when his friend walks into the hall. “I was here before you, that never happens.”

“I do  _ not  _ drink. Ever.” Baekhyun groans, rushing up on stage to drop his things off under his chair. Hyejin looks down her nose at Baekhyun, all of her materials already unpacked and prepared for rehearsal. “I didn’t practice at  _ all  _ on Saturday, and my roommates made me watch their stupid shows with them on Sunday.” 

“What the hell do you need to practice for?” Yixing snorts. “The Tomlinson piece really isn’t that hard.”

“I always have to be prepared for the future.” Baekhyun insists, checking the strings on his bow, and running the resin down them. 

“And you always say music shouldn’t be competitive.” His friend smirks, leaving Baekhyun to set up.   
  


“Hey!” Baekhyun calls after him, but Yixing pays him no attention. He hears a quiet “ _ hmph _ ” from next to him. He glances over and sees Hyejin looking straight ahead with a smug smile on her face. 

Rehearsal starts, and Baekhyun warms up the orchestra, taking them through a few exercises while Dr. Pierre does whatever the hell he needs to do in his office. He finally comes out after fifteen minutes, and Baekhyun sits back down. The Tomlinson suite has six movements, and despite the overbearing presence of clarinet, Baekhyun was starting to fall in love with it. The fifth movement had a beautiful all string string section in it, no clarinet. He finds himself humming it when he’s packing up his instrument and music after rehearsal ends.

“Mr. Byun, can I see you in my office?” Dr. Pierre’s voice startles Baekhyun, and he almost drops his case.

“Be right there, sir.” He calls back, shoving his music into his bag and rushing towards the office on the other side of the hall. “Sir?” He says, knocking on the doorframe before entering.

“Ah, I have something for you, Mr. Byun.” The professor says, shuffling through the stacks of papers littering his desk. “Ah, here it is.” He picks up an envelope with the university’s seal on it, handing it to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun frowns in confusion, taking the letter and reading the address. He nearly drops it in surprise. It was addressed to the LA Phil. “What… What is this?” He sputters, turning it over to unseal the envelope.

“A copy of my recommendation letter to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.” Dr. Pierre says, taking a sip of coffee from a mug on his desk.

“Your  _ what _ ?” Baekhyun looks up from the letter, mouth hanging open in shock. “Why?”

“Well, frankly, I’ve never had a student as gifted as you.” The professor sighs, staring at the ceiling in thought. “You should have been concertmaster from the beginning, but obviously, I have to be ‘fair’,” He uses air quotes on the word. “and give everyone a chance to audition.” Baekhyun stares. He doesn’t even know what to say in this situation. In the roadmap of his career he’d made back in middle school, LA Phil was still  _ years  _ away.

“But… they wouldn’t even accept me… I barely have a resume enough for this.” Baekhyun looks over the letter, his mind reeling. “Right?”

“I have friends in high places.” Dr. Pierre smiles, an expression Baekhyun had never seen on him before. Of course. His old friend from LA.

“Sir, I- I don’t know what to say.” Baekhyun feels like he’s about to cry. It’s been an emotional two weeks.

“A thank you would be nice.” The professor takes another sip of his coffee.

“Thank you, sir. Seriously.” Baekhyun manages to say through the tears building up in his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.” He waves the violinist off. “You better start practicing, auditions are in January.”

Baekhyun nods, thanking him again another fifty times before rushing out of the office, and out of the hall. He can’t wait to go to work and show off to his co-workers, especially a particular tall and goofy idiot.

-

“Are you gonna go for it?” Chanyeol asks later while they’re sweeping up a theater after a full showing of some new action movie. “That’s really fucking cool, Baekhyun.”

“I think I might.” Baekhyun bites his lip, sweeping a pile of spilled nachos into the dustpan. “It’s kind of my dream, you know.”

“I’ve seen the LA Phil before.” Chanyeol comments, leaning against his broom and tilting his head thoughtfully. “Took my old girlfriend to see  _ Fantasia _ .”

“You had a girlfriend?” Baekhyun looks up, surprised. “I thought you…”

“What?” The taller asks, raising an eyebrow. “What did you think about me?”

Baekhyun stares at him blankly. He blushes. “You know… You and Jongdae that one time…” He cringes in embarrassment. 

“I’m bi.” Chanyeol rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t look upset, which makes the violinist feel marginally better. “And Jongdae and I were a one time thing. He’s _definitely_ not boyfriend material.”

“That’s for sure.” Baekhyun mumbled. “So, why did you guys, uhm, y’know.” He feels awkward talking about sex with Chanyeol, or anyone really.

Chanyeol shrugs. “Honestly?” He folds his arms, thinking. “I was really horny. But I thought I already told you we didn’t sleep together?”

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun sputters, almost dropping his broom. “Yeah… you did say that, but still.”

“You asked! Plus, you literally cockblocked me, and I still suffer the consequence to this day.” The taller laughed, punching the violinist’s arm playfully. “My girlfriend and I broke up almost a year ago now, it’s been  _ forever  _ since I’ve had sex.”

“Me too.” Baekhyun says quietly. He turns away from Chanyeol, sweeping the rest of the nachos from the floor. 

“When was the last time?” Chanyeol asks.

The violinist sighs, not answering. He’d already shared too much.

“C’mon Baek, I’ve shared so much about me already, I wanna get to know you too!” The taller insists, walking around the violinist so they were looking at each other again.

Baekhyun pursed his lips, looking up at Chanyeol. He looks earnest, not like he’s trying to get more ammunition to make fun of him. “Year and a half.”

“Seriously?” Chanyeol’s eyes widened in surprise. “Dude, your poor balls.”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun snaps, turning away from him again. “It’s complicated. I don’t really do one night stands.”

“That’s okay.” Chanyeol throws a friendly arm around the shorter man’s shoulders. “Everybody’s different.” Baekhyun’s insides flutter at the contact, but he doesn’t shrug it off. “So was it a girlfriend? Boyfriend?”

“Neither.” Baekhyun says. “It wasn’t a relationship.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened again. “Okay. Now I’m confused. I thought you just said you didn’t like casual sex?”

“No, I said I don’t like one night stands. Not casual sex.” Baekhyun corrects him.

“Wow. I wouldn’t have made you out to be a friend with benefits kind of person.” Chanyeol huffs. The violinist laughs at the dumbfounded expression on his dumb face.

“Actually, she was my  _ best  _ friend.” Baekhyun ducks out of Chanyeol’s arm, gathering up his trash bags. “Come on, there’s a new showing in this theater in a few minutes.”

“Hey!” Chanyeol sputters, quickly picking up his bags and stumbling after him. “You can’t just say that and not explain! I want details, where’s the juice!”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, ignoring the giant as they walked to the dumpsters outside. He’d shared too much already. Chanyeol’s questions were getting  _ too  _ personal. “Baeeeekkk” He whines, pouting. The violinist hauls his trash into the dumpster, turning back around to face him, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, I’ll share something too if you tell me.”

Baekhyun folded his arms, furrowing his eyebrows at him. “Fine, okay? You want the whole story? I’ve known her my whole life, we started having sex three years ago, and she cut me off because she thought we were soulmates, but surprise! We weren’t, and she ditched me for him, and I haven’t seen her since, happy  _ now _ ?”

The taller man stares at him, mouth moving as he tries to find something to say. “Baek, I’m  _ sorry _ , I didn’t mean to-.”

“Forget it.” Baekhyun scowls, turning away and rushing back inside, not looking behind him to check if Chanyeol was following.

-

Baekhyun avoids Chanyeol for the rest of the night. He’s mostly pissed at himself for sharing  _ anything  _ to begin with, just to prove a point. He should’ve just listened like he always did. It was stupid of him, he barely knew Chanyeol. And Chanyeol… Chanyeol was nosy. Not in a bad way. Well, it was bad for Baekhyun. Their personalities clashed too much, and all the violinist wanted was to stay inside his protective shell forever.

Baekhyun left without saying goodbye to Chanyeol or Sehun, catching a glimpse of the tall man watching him leave with his sad puppy dog eyes, and he forced himself to keep walking. On the metro, he listened to his new favorite Tomlinson pieces to calm himself down enough to make it past his roommates. He really didn’t want to worry them, or snap at them.

Thankfully, Jongdae and Kyungsoo weren’t in the living room, the other bedroom door closed, so he made it to his room without interruption. Sighing, he threw his things down by his desk and flopped face down onto his bed. He felt like shit. He wanted to apologize to Chanyeol, but he also didn’t want to make himself vulnerable again, not when he knows Chanyeol will just ask more questions Baekhyun isn’t ready to answer yet.

Thirty minutes into his sulking session, and a few tissues later, his phone rang, vibrating on the pillow next to him. Frowning, he reached up and grabbed. The word “Yoda” flashed across the screen, along with his contact picture: a selfie of him winking and flashing a peace sign.

Baekhyun sighs, debating whether to pick it up or not for a few seconds, before he bites the bullet and answers. 

“ _ Baekhyun?” _

“Hi, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun says quietly, rubbing his face to try and stop the tears from coming.

“ _ I just wanted to say sorry. Not over text. That seems insincere.” _

“You didn’t do anything, wrong, Yeol.” The shortening of his name slips out before Baekhyun can control himself. “I’m fine.”

_ “Baek, you sure didn’t seem fine. I shouldn’t have pushed you when you obviously didn’t want to talk about it anymore. _ ”

Baekhyun rolls over, looking up at his ceiling. He doesn’t know how to respond. What else can he say without exposing just how  _ vulnerable  _ he is? “It’s okay.” He whispers.

“ _ I was being serious, I really do want to know you better. I-I think you’re pretty great. _ ”

“Just ‘pretty great’?” Baekhyun laughs, sniffling.

Chanyeol laughs too, and Baekhyun doesn’t miss the way he sniffles a little, too. “ _ Really, Baekhyun. I like you. I hope you can let me into your private friendship club. _ ”

“Sorry, space is limited.” Baekhyun teases, laughing again so Chanyeol knows he’s joking.

Thankfully, he gets the message, and snorts at him. “ _ You know, you remind me a lot of Captain Holt from Brooklyn 99. _ ”

“I don’t know who that is, or what that means.” Baekhyun frowned, getting the feeling that he was being made fun of.

“ _ Yes, that’s exactly the point _ .” Chanyeol’s laughter booms over the phone. “ _ It’s a TV show, one of my favorites. _ ”

“The only TV shows I watch are  _ Sherlock  _ and the National Geographic Channel.” The violinist rolls his eyes, even though he knows Chanyeol can’t see him.

“ _ Of course you do. _ ” He can hear the other man sigh, as if in disappointment. “ _ I have an idea. Why don’t you come over to my apartment this weekend and I can indoctrinate you to the best show you’ll ever watch _ .”

Baekhyun is silent for a second. Him. Going over to Chanyeol’s apartment. Like friends. “Okay.” He says despite himself. “Sunday, though. Saturdays are for practicing.”

“ _ Sounds good to me. I’m sure the other chefs can handle things without me. Well, I’m gonna go to bed now. Goodnight, Baekhyun. _ ”

“Night.” Baekhyun says, hanging up. As soon as he ends the call, his bedroom door opens slowly, and Jongdae shuffles in.

“You okay, babes?” He asks, looking concerned. “I could hear you crying. You make this really ugly hiccuping noise.”

“Yeah, I’m fine now.” Baekhyun sighs, tossing his used tissues in the direction of the trash can. “Chanyeol and I had a little argument. We’re good now.”

“That’s good.” Jongdae nods, folding his arms. “Well, in that case, I’m gonna go back to my room now. I’m getting laid. Love you, buddy!” He finishes, winking mischievously, shutting Baekhyun’s door and running back to his room.

“Hey!” Baekhyun yells after him, dumbfounded. He had no idea what the hell his best friend was talking about, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know, either.

-

On Saturday, Baekhyun shuts himself up in his room to make sure he can get in two days worth of practice time, now that he had plans for Sunday. His first order of business was to pick an audition piece from the suggested repertoire on the Phil’s website. There were so many good options, from some great composers. There were two Beethoven pieces on this list, but Baekhyun had a personal grudge against Beethoven; too trite, cliche, boring. The Biber sonatas were tempting, he was a violinist himself, so his pieces tended to reflect the instrument’s nuances that only a professional would notice. Then there’s the Bartok. His music held a special place in the violinist’s heart, his compositions emerged from one of his favorite musical eras. Bartok’s  _ Violin Concerto No. 2 _ was the perfect piece to show off his technique, which was definitely his strength. Bartok it was.

Baekhyun had worked through this piece before once, when he was a senior in high school, and it was  _ torturous.  _ Things were different, now. He had way more skill now, and more knowledge. The concerto was still difficult, no amount of experience could ever make it easier to play.

Periodically throughout the day, Jongdae banged on the door, telling him to shut up, or that he couldn’t hear the TV over the sound of him playing. On the contrary, Kyungsoo brought him lunch, leaving it at the door and texting him to let him know, and leaving little notes of encouragement along with it. Baekhyun finally went to bed at eleven, after Jongdae begged him to stop so he and Kyungsoo could go to sleep. He slept with the concerto playing through his airpods, hoping to synthesize the music in his brain while he slept.

-

The next day, Baekhyun sat outside the apartment complex at eight in the morning, waiting for Chanyeol to come pick him up. He’d insisted on the violinist coming over early, saying he’d be over for awhile. Baekhyun wouldn’t count on that. He got Jongdae to tell him about the show, and there was no  _ way  _ the violinist could enjoy a silly cop show.

Chanyeol arrives right on time, in his smelly car, blasting some old rock song that he hasn’t shown to Baekhyun yet. “Hey, boss!” He greets. He’s wearing a pair of black sunglasses that make him look like an asshole.

“Good morning.” Baekhyun says, hopping into the car on the passenger side. “Since it is  _ morning _ , eight in the morning on a Sunday, you better be feeding me.”   
  


“Uh oh, someone’s grumpy.” Chanyeol teases, turning down the volume on the stereo. “Yes, I will make you breakfast, princess.”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun scoffs, folding his arms as Chanyeol pulls out of the driveway. “I don’t really like breakfast food, though. So…”

“Of course you don’t.” The taller man shakes his head in disappointment. “No pancakes, waffles, eggs,  _ bacon _ ?” He looks personally offended when the violinist responds “no” to every breakfast food he lists. “You know what? I don’t care. You’re eating waffles, no complaints.” He points a warning finger at Baekhyun when he tries to protest.

True to his word, Chanyeol makes waffles. Baekhyun can hear the sound of the waffle press as he sulks on the other man’s couch. His apartment is nice, much cleaner than he originally expected. It’s big too, bigger than Baekhyun’s. The living room is quite sizable, a huge entertainment center surrounding his TV, filled with videogames and dvds, and figurines of what he assumes are cartoon characters.

A new, familiar smell reaches Baekhyun from the kitchen. As a picky eater, he could recognize that smell anywhere. “You’re making chicken, too?” He yells, bounding into the kitchen to see.

“Chicken and waffles.” Chanyeol sends him a glance over his shoulder from where he’s stood over a frying pan. “Figured you’d complain less if I added the chicken.”

Baekhyun frowns, folding his arms, not saying anything because he knows Chanyeol was right. He drops himself into one of the dining chairs, waiting for his food with a growling tummy.

Chanyeol sets down two plates on the table just as Baekhyun was about to fall asleep on his table. The scent of sweet dough and fried chicken wafts towards him, and he sighs happily. “Tired?” The bat-eared boy asks, taking the seat across from him.

“Sleepy.” Baekhyun replies, pulling the plate closer to him. “I was practicing all day yesterday.” A yawn takes over him, and Chanyeol smiles softly at him. 

“Did you not get enough sleep?” Baekhyun took a huge bite of the chicken, then a tiny bite of the corner of the waffle. 

“I woke up at five am yesterday.” He nibbled a little more at the waffle. It’s not what he usually likes, but the grease from the chicken adds a nice flavor to it. “Didn’t sleep until eleven.”

“You didn’t take any breaks?” Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at him, something that looked like concern on his face.

“I ate lunch.” Baekhyun shrugs him off.

“That doesn’t sound healthy.” Chanyeol snorts, taking a piece of chicken from his own plate and transferring it over to Baekhyun’s. “You’re still a growing boy, you need three meals a day.”

“This audition is important to me.” Baekhyun argues, devouring his extra piece of chicken easily. “Also, I’m twenty-two, not twelve.”

“You’re older than me?” The taller man says in surprise, his eyes widening in that way they always do. It’s starting to become endearing. “That’s upsetting. When’s your birthday?”

“May sixth.” Baekhyun says smugly, happy to finally have an upper hand over Chanyeol. “When’s yours?”

“November twenty-seventh.” Chanyeol pouts, looking down into his food and pushing around the waffle pieces with his knife. “That’s a whole half year older than me.”

“Don’t be such a baby, baby.” Baekhyun grins, feeling triumphant. Chanyeol stares at him for a few moments, his cheeks turning red. The violinist raises an eyebrow at him, and he looks away, the bright red tips of his ears still visible despite his efforts to hide his blush.

“I’m gonna wash the dishes, can you turn the TV on? Is that something you know how to do?” Chanyeol recovers quickly, standing up and taking both of their plates to the sink.

“Of course I do.” Baekhyun sticks his tongue out at him while his back is turned, waddling back to the living room couch. Chanyeol joins him a few moments later, taking the remote from him to find the show. “How long are we planning on watching this?” The violinist asks as the other man starts the first episode.

“Well, there are seven seasons, and the episodes are twenty minutes long, and about twenty-one episodes per season so… all day?” He tilts his head to look at Baekhyun, sending him his best charming smile, which achieves its desired effect, and Baekhyun blushes.

“Did you do that math in your head?” The violinist asks, raising an eyebrow and leaning back into the couch cushions. 

Chanyeol mirrors him, adjusting to fit his giant frame into the couch. “I  _ am _ an astrophysics major, I’m pretty good at math.” He wiggles his eyebrows at the smaller man.

“Ew, nerd, you ruined it.” Baekhyun snorts, turning away from him as the show’s opening theme starts. “I’m trying to pay attention to the show.”

Baekhyun doesn’t admit it out loud, but he quickly gets hooked on the show. The characters are amusing, and Baekhyun has a weakness for detective shows. More infuriatingly, Captain Holt is so far one of his favorite characters on the show, mostly because he has a superior taste in music. It’s irritating how similar their mannerisms are, and how every time he does or says something that reminds Chanyeol of Baekhyun, he giggles profusely, saying “just like you”! Baekhyun takes it with a roll of his eyes, biting back from letting out how much Jake reminds him of Chanyeol. 

By five, they’ve finished the entire first season, and Chanyeol makes them dinner: soup and salad. Baekhyun stares at him over the dinner table, not touching his food. Chanyeol munches his salad innocently, but the violinist notices the impish crinkle in his eyes.

“What the hell is this?” Baekhyun deadpans.

“A soup and salad.” The other man says, his mouth full. Baekhyun wrinkles his nose. “You should eat.”

“I  _ don’t like salad _ .” Baekhyun hisses, folding his arms.

“Have you ever even  _ had  _ a salad?” Chanyeol says, a piece of lettuce or spinach or whatever kind of leaf he was eating falling out of his mouth. 

“I-,” Baekhyun opens his mouth, then closes it. His eye twitches. He hates when Chanyeol is right.

“That’s what I thought.” The other man smiled mischievously, wiping the leaf from his mouth. “Try it. I made yours pretty basic. I assumed you’d never had it before. Carrots, ranch, red onion, regular old lettuce.”

Grumbling, Baekhyun picks up his fork, poking around the greens in his bowl. He can feel Chanyeol watching him, so he sighs and eats a leaf. It’s more crunchy than he expected, and he can’t stop himself from wrinkling his nose in distaste. He swallows it, wiping the dressing from his mouth.

Chanyeol pouts. “You don’t like it.”

“No no no, it’s not… bad?” Baekhyun hurries to reassure him. For some reason, he doesn’t want to hurt the taller man’s feelings. Chanyeol gives him a look, and the violinist sighs. “Yeah, you’re right, I hate it.”

“Wow, ouch.” Chanyeol places a hand over his chest in mock offense. “I’ll go heat you up some chicken nuggets.”

“You know me so well.” Baekhyun jokes.

After dinner, they go back to the couch to continue the show. Chanyeol doesn’t mention Baekhyun’s eagerness to delve back into it. After several more episodes, Chanyeol speaks up. “You know, I take it back. You’re an Amy.”

Baekhyun snaps his head around to look at him. “ _ What _ ? Don’t be ridiculous, she’s such a suck up, it’s  _ annoying _ .” He sputters, but Chanyeol remains unphased, giving him a knowing look. “Oh come  _ on _ .” The violinist scoffs, folding his arms and sinking into the couch. “Well, then  _ you’re  _ Jake, because you’re annoying, and I hate you.”

“Oh, really?” Chanyeol shifts closer, looking amused. “So, we’re enemies now?”

“We’ve  _ been  _ enemies since you tried to poison me with  _ salad _ .” Baekhyun huffs, still refusing to look at him. He can feel him getting closer.

“We’ll get over it eventually.” Chanyeol laughs softly, his voice hushed, sending a chill down Baekhyun’s spine.

“Oh will we-?” Baekhyun turns to face him, and finds Chanyeol right in front of his face, only inches apart. He falters, blinking. Chanyeol stares right back at him, his large doe eyes as wide as they always are. 

“Yeah.” Chanyeol gulps. His pupils are blown wide. “We will.” He licks his lips, and Baekhyun  _ tries  _ so hard not to look, but he can’t help it. His lips were plump and full, sat right in front of him. He glances back up, and Chanyeol smirks at him, pulling back, but Baekhyun could see the pink dusting his cheeks and ears. “Pay attention, Baek, this is my favorite episode.” Spell broken.

Baekhyun blushes furiously, grumbling to himself and pulling his blanket up around his shoulders. He notices Chanyeol glance at him, his smirk turning soft at the sight of the violinist in his little cocoon. He feels...odd. 

It’s getting late, and Baekhyun’s getting sleepy again. His yawns get more frequent, and he feels himself drifting further and further down the couch. Chanyeol seems to notice, and he nudges Baekhyun. “Are you getting tired?”

“No.” Baekhyun says stubbornly, cut off by another yawn. “M’fine.”

Chanyeol shakes his head in amusement. Another few minutes go by, Baekhyun shifting around on the couch, trying to get comfortable. “Come here.” Chanyeol says eventually.

“Why?” Baekhyun scoffs, nuzzling his head against the couch cushions.

“You can lay on my shoulder.” Chanyeol beams, flashing his dimple at the violinist. If he’s trying to be convincing, it’s working. 

“Fine.” Baekhyun relents, spurred on by whatever the hell had happened between them earlier; plus he  _ was _ tired, and Chanyeol’s cushions were a little too mushy for him to be comfortable. He scoots closer to the taller man, hesitating for a second. Chanyeol nudges him again, and the dimple makes a reappearance. Baekhyun sighs, dropping his head onto his shoulder. Chanyeol is warm, his broad shoulders firm under his cheek. It’s comfortable.

“Better?” Chanyeol asks, his voice soft.

“Maybe.” Baekhyun mumbles, focusing back on the show again. He feels Chanyeol’s laughter rumbling underneath him.

Baekhyun manages to hang on to consciousness for an hour or so, drifting in and out of sleep, slumped over Chanyeol’s shoulder, the taller man eventually leaning over to lay his head on top of his. Everything is warm, and  _ so _ soft and  _ so _ cozy, and Baekhyun falls asleep.

-

Baekhyun wakes up with a start and immediately panics. Where the hell was he? There was a soft fluffy blanket draped over him, and a pillow under his cheek.

“Goodmorning, sunshine!” A voice startles him, and he yelps, jumping and subsequently falling off the couch, where a very shirtless Chanyeol stands above him, looking down at the violinist now on the floor, and Baekhyun’s face immediately heats up. He chuckles, his black curls obscuring the usual twinkle in his eyes.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun groans, rubbing his eyes, making no moves to get up off the floor. “What time is it?”

“Eight in the morning!” He grins, moving to leave the room.

“Shit!” Baekhyun gasps, scrambling to get up, grabbing his phone and double-checking the time. “Shit shit shit!”

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeol asks, tilting his head.

“I have morning classes in thirty minutes!” The violinist all but screams, running his hands through his hair in panic. “I’m wearing my clothes from yesterday, I don’t have my violin,  _ or  _ my backpack, what the  _ hell  _ am I doing?”

“Hey, it’s okay.” The taller man came closer, trying to soothe him.

“No! Why didn’t you wake me up?!” He yells, frozen, not knowing what to do.

“You were tired, I thought I would let you sleep and take you to class tomorrow! I didn’t know you had class so early!” Chanyeol says quickly, placing a friendly hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “You can borrow my clothes, and I can swing by your apartment to get your stuff while you change and eat, I made you breakfast, by the way, and I’ll take you back.”

Baekhyun takes a deep breath to calm down. “Okay. Okay, you better hurry up, here’s my keys.” He digs them out of his pocket, shoving them into the taller’s hands. “Hurry!”

“Going!” Chanyeol reassures him, tugging on a hoodie and racing out the door.

Baekhyun sighs, rubbing his face again. He went to the kitchen, finding a chicken sandwich waiting for him on the counter, next to a hoodie and a pair of shorts. Baekhyun wrinkles his nose at the choice in clothing (who the hell wears sweaters in September in California?), but grabs it and heads to the bathroom to change.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he looks ridiculous. The hoodie reaches down to his thighs, nearly hiding the shorts he was wearing. He sighs, this is going to be embarrassing. The violinist was going to show up to class looking like he’s just been freshly fucked, wearing the giant’s oversized clothing and hair disheveled. And now, on top of it all, he was going to be  _ late  _ to class. He was always at least fifteen minutes early to everything. Last night, between them, whatever the hell those moments had been, was already too much for Baekhyun to handle. Chanyeol was impairing his ability to make rational decisions; he should’ve left as soon as he started getting tired. He pouts, tugging his fingers through the wild strands in an attempt to tone down the effect. 

Before he can finish, the door opens again, and Baekhyun sighs, rushing out of the bathroom and back to the kitchen to grab his sandwich. “I’m back, ready to go?” Chanyeol calls.

“Yup.” Baekhyun picks up the sandwich, quickly following Chanyeol back out of the apartment and down to where his car was parked. “Thanks for the food and clothes, by the way.” The violinist mumbles. “I’ll bring them back to you tomorrow night.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Chanyeol waves him off, pulling out the apartment complex. “Eat.”

Baekhyun takes a huge bite of the sandwich. It’s delicious, of course. Everything Chanyeol makes is, except for the salad, of course.

They make it to the university with five minutes to spare. Chanyeol hands him all of his stuff as he gets out of the car. “Thank you so much, Chanyeol, I really appreciate it.” Baekhyun thanks him hurriedly, avoiding eye contact with the taller man.

“No problem, boss. Have a great day at school!” The taller man gives him a cheesy smile, waving as he drives off.

Baekhyun watches him go, even though he has to go too. There’s a weird feeling in his stomach, and it scares him. Things were… weird between him and Chanyeol. There was something there, something  _ tangible _ they both obviously felt last night that caused them to act the way they did. Baekhyun doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like the weird feeling in his stomach when Chanyeol touches him. He doesn’t like it when Chanyeol looks at him with his pupils larger than the sun. He doesn’t like how  _ close _ he was to him last night, and that he  _ looked _ at his  _ lips _ , and Chanyeol  _ saw _ him do it.

Feeling frustrated, Baekhyun rushes off to class.

-

For the next week, Baekhyun avoids Chanyeol the best he can. He needs time, time to figure out his own head. This new...friendship is overwhelming to say the least. It’s hard, though, especially when they work together, and the taller man sends him his sad, puppy dog eyes whenever he thinks Baekhyun isn’t paying attention. The first few days, he tries talking to Baekhyun, but gives up when he only responds with one word answers.

It hurts. It hurts, but Baekhyun needs to sort himself out first before he can go back to normal. It’s frustrating because his texts are distracting when he’s trying to practice, eye twitching when he sees “Yoda” in the display name.

Baekhyun is scared. He hasn’t gotten this close to anyone in  _ years _ . He shouldn’t be freaking out this much, but here he is. Avoiding Chanyeol for no good reason. Cutting him off. Driving him away. That seems to be something he’s good at, driving people away. 

Jongdae and Kyungsoo notice, but they understand, not mentioning it, just giving their roommate a little more love than usual, longer cuddles, more takeout, and less going out without him and more staying in with him.

In his spare time between classes and work, Baekhyun buries himself in practice. It’s strange how much free time he has now that Chanyeol isn’t distracting him with his stupid modern music. Baekhyun pauses, fingers stilling on the strings. No, it’s not stupid. He  _ misses  _ it. He misses Chanyeol. He grips his bow tighter, gritting his teeth.  _ This _ is stupid, and he feels ridiculous. 

He couldn’t focus anymore on the piece, so he decided to go for a walk, letting Jongdae know where he’s going on the way out so he doesn’t worry.

The beginning of October has started to make the nights cooler, so Baekhyun wears a sweater. It’s nice outside, he hasn’t gone out like this in forever. All the shops in the neighborhood are preparing for Halloween, Spirit Halloween taking over the empty store spaces for the one month a year that they stay in business. The streets make Baekhyun feel nostalgic. He used to go out on walks like this with Wheein. He hasn’t since.

There’s an old park around here he used to come to. It’s late, so no children. Baekhyun was free to play on the swings as long as he wanted.

As he’s swinging, he makes up his mind to apologize to Chanyeol. He can’t deny that he misses his stupid goofy face and his dumb jokes. And his food. Kyungsoo is a great cook, but he’s  _ so  _ lazy, and Baekhyun has to beg to get him to make him food. It isn’t fair of him to push Chanyeol away just because he’s scared to let him in. 

“Hey!” a voice calls from somewhere in the park. Speak of the devil. “Hey, Baek!” Baekhyun digs his feet into the ground to slow down the swing. He hears the sound of large, clumsy feet trudging through the gravel to reach him. Baekhyun doesn’t turn to look at him, closing his eyes to take a deep breath. Chanyeol sits at the swing next to him, the chains groaning in the effort to support his giant form.

“What are you doing here, Yeol?” Baekhyun sighs. Yes, he wanted to talk to him, but he didn’t think it would be so soon. He’s caught off guard.

“Jongdae texted me.” The taller man shrugs. He sounds nervous, his voice a little shaky. “He asked me to come check on you, he worries about you, y’know?”

“If he’s so worried he could just come himself.” Baekhyun scoffs, kicking the gravel around with his shoe.

“I was worried, too.” Chanyeol says quietly. “Did I…” He trails off, taking a breath. When he speaks again his voice wavers. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line, Baek. I really am.”

Baekhyun looks up in surprise. Chanyeol is avoiding eye contact too, but the violinist can see the wetness under his eyes. “Chanyeol…” He whispers, swinging his swing closer to him. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.”

“Are you sure? I don’t, I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, I know I can be a lot to handle sometimes.” Chanyeol sniffles, looking up at him. His eyes are red, and something tugs at Baekhyun’s heart at the sight.

“I’m the one being closed off, here.” Baekhyun reassures him, hooking his foot around the other man’s ankle. “My mysterious personality is part of my charm. That’s how I get people to like me.” He jokes to ease some of the tension between them.

It works, and Chanyeol laughs, reaching up to wipe his eyes. “Well, it’s working.” Baekhyun smiles. “Seriously, though. Are we okay now? I don’t want you to have to go through this again.”

Baekhyun bites his lip. “I think it’s  _ my  _ turn to apologize. And maybe explain myself, or whatever.”

“I’m listening.” Chanyeol twists his swing around to face the violinist fully. His big eyes are wide, like he’s trying his best to look like a good listener. It softens Baekhyun’s reluctance.

“I just…” Baekhyun heaves out a heavy sigh, playing with his thumbs in his lap. “Last year, Wheein and I were fine, she’d tried to get us together  _ romantically _ several times, but I always refused. I didn’t love her in that way, she was my best friend. All of a sudden, she gets her soulmate dream, and she’s convinced it’s me.” He grips the material of his hoodie, clenching his fists. “And we got into this huge argument, and I snapped. I told her she was being stupid, I mean, we’ve known each other our whole lives, there’s no way it would just show up now.” Chanyeol frowns, but doesn’t say anything, reaching out and hesitantly placing his hand over Baekhyun’s. The violinist lets it happen. “She got pissed, obviously, starts saying all of a sudden that she’s in love with me and I… I just  _ can’t  _ do it.” Chanyeol squeezes his hand, and Baekhyun squeezes back. “We lived together, too, which was probably a mistake… She found whoever her soulmate was and kicked me out. Just left all my stuff outside the door. So I moved in with Jongdae and Kyungsoo, and here we are.” He finishes, feeling like he’s out of breath. He hasn’t told anyone about Wheein since it all first happened, and, admittedly, it feels good to get off his chest. It’s not the whole story, either, but Baekhyun isn’t ready for that, yet. Someday,  _ maybe _ , he will be.

They sit in silence for a few moments, Chanyeol rubbing Baekhyun’s hand with his thumb. “Thank you for telling me.” The taller man says quietly, as if afraid to break the fragile silence between them. “I’m sorry for-,for making you uncomfortable, if I have.”

“Stop apologizing.” Baekhyun says gently, knocking their knees together. “I-It was time for me to open up. It’s been over a year, I can afford to...socialize more.” He forces the word out of his mouth like it tastes bitter. “Besides, I do. I like you too, I think you’re, uhm, neat.”

“Neat?” Chanyeol raises an eyebrow, a spark of amusement shining through his wet eyes. “How kind of you.”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun laughs despite himself. 

“So  _ you’re  _ the reason behind the extra spicy tension between Jongdae and Kyungoo, huh?” Chanyeol jokes. The violinist can see he’s attempting to lighten the mood between them, so he takes the bait.

“It’s all part of my master plan to make them realize they’re soulmates.” He smirks proudly, spinning himself around in his swing. 

“You’ve made Jongdae’s life hell.” The taller man laughs. He spins around in his swing, too, winding up the chains as tightly as they’ll go. “He has so much pent up sexual frustration he had to turn to  _ me  _ for relief.”

“So that was really all just, uhm, for sex, you never had feelings for him?” Baekhyun asks.

“Yup.” Chanyeol says, lifting his feet up and letting the swing unknot itself, spinning him around, his abnormally large legs kicking Baekhyun as he spins.

“Ouch, asshole.” He sputters, pushing away from the taller man.

“Me and you,” Chanyeol says when the swing stops spinning itself. “We’re kind of in the same boat. Difference is, I’m the one who broke up with my girlfriend.”

“Uhm, why did you?” The violinist asks gently. It seems they’re in a sharing kind of mood today.

“Well, not really anything special. Just the whole lost spark kind of thing.” Chanyeol sighs. He looks wistful, but not upset. “Relationships in a world of soulmates are a tricky thing. I guess I didn’t want to sit there with her, pretending like we both didn’t want to find our soulmates.”

“You want to?” Baekhyun frowns, curious. “Find your soulmate, I mean.”

“Yeah, I do.” Chanyeol sends him his signature grin, dimple and everything. “I know not everyone does, though. It’s different for everyone, you know? It sure made the breakup easier, though. She felt the same way.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun nods. He doesn’t feel the same way the taller does, but he doesn’t want to say anything that might sound rude right now.

“Sex is fine though. I can do sex outside of soulmates, and I’d heard Jongdae is very good.” His grin turns cheeky.

“Ew, God, please don’t talk about my roommate like that.” Baekhyun wrinkles his nose, and Chanyeol laughs, loud and boisterous.

“Hey, you can’t talk shit, he brought us together.” Chanyeol points out, he kicks off the ground, starting to swing.

“I guess.” Baekhyun groans exaggeratedly, rolling his eyes. He joins Chanyeol, pushing off from the ground, determined to outswing him.

“Oh, someone getting competitive now?” The taller notices, kicking harder once he swings back to the center. Baekhyun does the same, his shorter legs at the advantage, because Chanyeol has to tuck his knees in every time the swing comes back. “Hey, this isn’t fair, I’m not a midget like you!”

“Sucks to suck!” Baekhyun laughs, gasping when his swing stutters in the air, almost flipping him over. Chanyeol cackles at him, long, bowed legs flailing in the air when his own swing does the same.

“Okay, yeah, maybe these weren’t made for adults.” Chanyeol pouts, digging his feet into the gravel to slow his momentum. Baekhyun follows suit, nearly falling off in the process. The taller man chuckles, grabbing one of the chains on the violinist’s swing to help him slow down.

“Thanks.” Baekhyun grumbles, getting off the swing, brushing his hands off on his shorts in an attempt to get the rust off. “Walk me home?” He asks nervously.

“Of course.” Chanyeol’s response comes easy, just like everything does with him.

-

After that day at the park, the rest of October flies by smoothly. Baekhyun spends his lunch breaks in the studio rooms, slowly but surely drudging his way through the Bartok piece, Yixing bringing him food and coffee from the campus Starbucks in encouragement. The strange dream still shows up regularly, but he’s starting to remember less of it the more it happens, like his brain is getting used to it coming and doesn’t deem it important anymore. Work gets better now that him and Chanyeol have made up. The taller keeps him laughing with his stupid jokes and stories, and, occasionally, Baekhyun throws one back at him. They set up a regular weekend routine: Baekhyun practices on Saturdays, and comes over to Chanyeol’s apartment on Sundays to watch  _ Brooklyn 99  _ and eat delicious new foods. Occasionally, Jongdae teases him about spending so much time with Chanyeol, but he quickly shuts up when Baekhyun retaliates with a joke about some strange noises he heard coming from his and Kyungsoo’s bedroom at night.

In terms of Jongdae and Kyungsoo… whatever is happening between them is moving along at a snail’s pace. A few days before Halloween, Baekhyun catches Kyungsoo in the bathroom with concealer, trying to cover up a mark on his neck.

“Hey, buddy.” Baekhyun greets, and Kyungsoo jumps, turning around looking like he was just caught sneaking out by a strict parent. “Whatcha got there?”

“A smoothie?” Kyungsoo tries, eyes flashing towards his Juice-It-Up cup on the bathroom sink.

“Try again.” Baekhyun raises an eyebrow, folding his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

“A book fell from the top shelf at the library? Where I was studying...with Jongdae.” He says, stumbling over his words, sounding less and less believable by the second.

“Nope.” The violinist snickers, snatching the concealer from the bald man, who makes an attempt to grab it, but Baekhyun holds it up out of his reach.   
  


“Spider bite.” Kyungsoo grits his teeth.

“Bingo.” Baekhyun lowers his arm, letting the other man take the concealer back. “I always knew Jongdae had four furry limbs he was hiding from us.”

Kyungsoo stares at him, pressing his lips together in a thin line. Baekhyun stares right back, waiting for him to elaborate. “Fine.” Kyungsoo relents, rolling his eyes. “We’ve been kind of having a little bit of sex.”

“A little bit?” Baekhyun scoffs. “My ears must be deceiving me then.”

The bald man’s round face turns bright red, and he looks down at his feet, tapping the tube of concealer against his palm. “Okay, a lot.”

“Mmm.” Baekhyun hums in triumph. “So how’s that going, then?”

“It’s great, obviously, Jongdae’s great.” Kyungsoo shrugs, turning back to the mirror to finish applying the makeup to his neck.

“I see.” The violinist joins him by the mirror, watching the bald man grit his teeth. “And you’re enjoying it?”

“Obviously.” Kyungsoo snaps. “We haven’t really spoken about it. It just kind of  _ happens _ . First time was an accident.”

“Oh I get it, you’re just accidentally sticking your dick in him.” Baekhyun teases, nodding his head sagely.

“Actually it’s the other way around.” His roommate sticks his tongue out at him.

Now  _ that’s _ definitely a surprise. “You’re telling me Jongdae is a top? Our whiny, crybaby roommate is a top?” Baekhyun stares at Kyungsoo, wide-eyed.

“Yup.” Kyungsoo says, popping the ‘p’. Baekhyun stares more, blinking. Something’s not computing in his brain. If that’s true, then that means-. “How does it look? Can you still see it?”

Baekhyun shakes his head to clear his thoughts. “Like brand new. No spider bite.”

“Cool. Thanks. I’m gonna go now, I’m having lunch with my mom.” Kyungsoo screws the top onto the tube, shoving it back into the medicine cabinet. 

“Hey, wait.” Baekhyun stops him, grabbing his arm before he can leave the bathroom. “You’ll be careful about this all, right?” Baekhyun asks softly. Kyungsoo hasn’t ever explicitly said out loud that he liked Jongdae, but Baekhyun didn’t need him too. He knew him too well for that. “You know how he is…”

Kyungsoo’s expression softens, and he lays his hand over Baekhyun’s where it’s gripping his arm. “I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.” He looks the violinist in the eye, and there’s a mutual understanding there, that he doesn’t need to reaffirm with words. Baekhyun gives him one last pat on the arm, and Kyungsoo nods at him before leaving. The violinist watches him go. He sure hopes he’s right.

-

“Remind me, why are we here again? We’re not going trick-or-treating are we?” Baekhyun folds his arms from where he’s trailing behind Jongdae and Kyungsoo. “Because you’re  _ way  _ too old for that.”

“First of all, rude.” Jongdae sends him a patronizing look over his shoulder. “Second of all, we have a party to go to.”

“Why?” Baekhyun pouts, dragging his feet, looking around at the costumes hanging up in disdain. “I never agreed to this.”

“Because we’re gonna be the Powerpuff girls, Baek!” Jongdae whines, grabbing Baekhyun’s arm to drag him in line with him and Kyungsoo. “Who else is supposed to complete the trio?”

“Don’t ask me! You guys have plenty of friends.” The violinist shakes his arm off. 

“Come on, Baek.” Kyungsoo loops his arm through Baekhyun’s. “You’ve been going out more lately, anyways, so why not?”

“Plus, Chanyeol’s gonna be there.” Jongdae sing-songs, linking arms with Baekhyun’s other side. “And, he said he’s gonna dress up as a superhero, which sounds  _ super  _ hot, right?”

“Why should I care?” Baekhyun scoffs, trying, but failing, to hide his blush. A vague spark of interest lights in his gut, but he ignores it.

“Are you serious, right now?” Jongdae gives his roommate a look. “Tall, muscular, handsome man wearing spandex, and that doesn’t make you even a  _ little  _ hot and bothered.”

“No.” The violinist insists, his entire face on fire. Kyungsoo snickers under his breath at him.

“Ah! Here we go!” Jongdae exclaims, standing on his tiptoes to reach for a costume on the top shelf. He turns it around to face his roommates. “Buttercup!”

“Which one of us is Buttercup?” Baekhyun frowns, eyeing the costume. It’s sized for women, because for whatever reason, Spirit Halloween thinks Powerpuff Girls is only for women.

“That would be me.” Kyungsoo says, taking the package from Jongdae and tucking it under his arm. 

“I thought  _ I  _ would’ve been Buttercup.” The violinist looks between the two, feeling slightly offended. 

“Nuh uh.” Jongdae smirks, shaking his head. “I have plans for you, I’m not letting you go to a party with your  _ normal  _ hair.”

“What?” Baekhyun sputters, taking a step back from his friends. “Don’t tell me you’re going to  _ bleach my hair _ !”

“Red.” Kyungsoo says helpfully. “No bleaching required.”

Jongdae rummages through the shelves, humming when he apparently finds what he’s looking for, tossing the package to Baekhyun. The violinist frowns, turning over the package. “Blossom.” He says flatly, looking up at his roommate in disdain. “No...No way you’re touching my fucking hair.”

“Always a great accomplishment to get you to curse like that.” Jongdae says affectionately, ignoring his roommate’s protests. “Just trust me, Baek, you’ll look hot!”

Baekhyun gapes at him, turning to Kyungsoo for back-up. The bald man just shrugs. “You would, honestly.” 

“Traitor.” The violinist stares at him, shaking his head in disappointment.

“We’re all making sacrifices here, buddy.” Jongdae pulls one last package from the shelf. “I mean, I’m going  _ blonde _ for God’s sake.”

“You’re literally trying to turn me into a clown.” Baekhyun hissed, kicking his roommate’s ankles. His protests fell on deaf ears, his best friends dead set on their costume ideas. Jongdae even paid for all of them, after the violinist attempted to whine about not being able to afford it. It seems he’s stuck with them, now.

As soon as they get back to the apartment, Jongdae wrestles Baekhyun into a seat at the kitchen table, instructing Kyungsoo to get a bottle of dye he stashed in the bathroom medicine cabinet. “How long have you had this planned, exactly?” Baekhyun sighs, exasperated, giving up on resisting.

“Couple weeks.” Jongdae pats his cheek, giving the violinist an affectionate smooch on the forehead. “Trust the process, babes.”

The process turned out to be hair dye that stinks like chemicals, Abba blasting from their bluetooth speakers, and Kyungsoo playing card games with Baekhyun to keep him busy. After Baekhyun showers and washes the dye out, it's his turn to get revenge and bleach Jongdae’s hair. He hasn’t seen what his own looks like yet, though. Jongdae insisted on sitting with him in the bathroom while he showered to make sure he didn’t look in the mirror. He said he wanted them to do this together, because of ‘friendship’. 

Kyungsoo was very accommodating through all of this, even letting Baekhyun rub his bald head, moaning about how he missed his black hair already. 

Baekhyun made sure to be thorough in his bleaching of Jongdae’s hair, not letting a single strand go untouched. He refused to let his roommate get by with a sexy, dirty-blonde look. That would be unfair, he’s going for full lemon-head here.

After Jongdae showers, Kyungsoo returns both of their phones to them, and they open their cameras at the same time.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Baekhyun stares at himself in shock. He knew this was coming, but there it was. His hair. Bright fucking red. Straight up Ronald McBaekald. “Why did I let you do this to me?” He moans, screwing his eyes shut and trying to will it all away.   
  


“You’re one to talk, you turned me straight up yellow.” Jongdae scoffs, pouting at his camera. “Jesus fuck, I look like Jake Paul.”

Kyungsoo snickers at his friends, sneaking a few pictures of them over his coffee cup.

Baekhyun goes to take a picture of himself, but Jongdae stops him, slapping his phone out of his hand, “What the hell, Jongdae, haven’t I suffered enough?”

“I know you were gonna send that to Chanyeol.” His friend hisses, eye narrowing. “This is supposed to be a surprise, dummy.”

“What’s the point? It’s just hair.” Baekhyun scoffs, folding his arms.

“Obviously, you wait to show him this look until tomorrow at the party, so he can say you look hot, duh. And we get to see him flustered, which is always entertaining.” Kyungsoo says, nodding at Baekhyun. “Big guy gets all clumsy, starts falling around all over the place.”

“You guys are being ridiculous.” Baekhyun sighs, shaking his head at both of them. “Chanyeol and I are  _ friends _ , he’s not going to care that you turned me into Elmo.”

“I’m surprised you know who that is.” Jongdae snorts.

“That’s not the point!” The violinist sputters, turning bright red to match his new hair. “Whatever, I have to practice, you’ve distracted me enough today.” His roommates whine, holding onto him, begging him to stay, and Baekhyun has to compromise. He’ll practice for two hours,  _ then _ watch TV with them for the rest of the night. 

Deep down, like,  _ deep down _ , Baekhyun is curious to see if his new hair has the effect on Chanyeol that his roommates say it will. Personally, he doesn’t see what all the fuss is about, but Jongdae and Kyungsoo have known the giant longer than he has. Now all he has to do is wait for tomorrow: Halloween night.

-

Minseok’s house is more like a mansion. It’s, for lack of better words,  _ fucking gigantic _ . Junmyeon parks at the mansion down the street, since there weren’t any available spots closer to it. He was the designated driver tonight. Baekhyun wished he could drive so he didn’t have to drink tonight. Obviously, he didn’t  _ have _ to, but he was historically susceptible to peer pressure.

“How come  _ your  _ shirts fit better than mine?” Baekhyun pouts, folding his arms self consciously when they all step out of the car.

“Oh, I bought you a size small to show off your nice and  _ broad _ shoulders.” Jongdae says casually, pulling down his short-shorts down away from his crotch. “Jeez, these things are tight.”

“You’re telling  _ me _ .” Baekhyun hisses. It took some great maneuvering on his part to get these tiny shorts on.

“You look great, Baekhyunee.” Junmyeon says soothingly, locking up his car and stepping up to the violinist to adjust the bright red bow on his head. He’s dressed up as Prince Eric, which, normally, would be pretty lame, but Junmyeon is so handsome it works. His soulmate, Irene, was reportedly at the party already, dressed as Ariel.

“I look ridiculous.” He pouted, nuzzling into Junmyeon’s friendly hand anyways.

“It’ll all be worth it, my friend.” Jongdae chides, grabbing his and Kyungsoo’s hands and intertwining their fingers together. “Come now, the meat market awaits.” Junmyeon wrinkles his nose at his friends. Jongdae knocks on the door with the hand holding onto Kyungsoo.

A short, cat-like man wearing a crop-top and cat ears, opens the door, a grin breaking onto his face when he spots Jongdae. “Hey, man! Come on in.” Jongdae drags his roommates inside the house-mansion, much to Baekhyun’s reluctance. “Happy to see ya again, drinks are in the kitchen, you know where it is, and the pool’s open for everyone’s usage. And so are the bedrooms, just make sure you ask me first.” The man says, winking at them mischievously. “And please  _ do  _ clean up if you use them, otherwise you won’t be invited again.” He gives them one more cat-like grin before sauntering away elsewhere.

“Well, that was Minseok.” Jongdae turns to Baekhyun. “He’s great, and rich too. The house is really nice.”

“I can tell.” Baekhyun gulps, feeling nervous now that he’s inside. There aren’t huge crowds of people there like he’d seen in the movies, just a few dotted around the place, moving to get drinks, head up the stairs, or use the pool outside.

“If you need a room, by the way, just text me, I’ll let Minseok know.” Jongdae whispers in Baekhyun’s ear, winking. “I know  _ I _ will.”

“Good to know.” Baekhyun shoves him away. 

“Can we get something to drink yet?” Kyungsoo asks, exasperated at his roommates’ antics. “Come on, Myeon, come watch me do shots.” He lets go of Jongdae, grabbing the older man’s hand, who gladly obliges him.

“Hey! Wait up!” Jongdae splutters, immediately forgetting about Baekhyun and chasing after the bald man. 

Baekhyun watches them go with a sigh. What the hell is he supposed to do to entertain himself now? He pulls his phone out, biting his lip, and sends a text to Chanyeol.

**Hey, are you here?**

Surprisingly, it only takes Chanyeol a second to respond.

**look behind u lol**

Baekhyun frowns in confusion, looking up from his phone and turning around to see a huge man in some kind of superhero costume, two swords strapped to his back. The violinist startles, stumbling back a little.

“Hey, Baek!” Comes a muffled voice from behind the mask. The mask fails to conceal his ears, two protruding lumps on the sides of his head.

“God, Chanyeol, you scared the shit out of me.” Baekhyun sighs, rubbing his forehead.

The man reaches up to take the mask off, struggling a little. “Jesus Christ, I can barely see anything-” The mask comes off, releasing Chanyeol’s full head of curls, and he looks down at Baekhyun, his eyes widening comically. Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at him, and the taller man’s entire face turns a violent shade of red. “B-Baek, your hair, I-.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, it looks ridiculous.” Baekhyun grumbles, running a hand through his freshly dyed hair.

“N-No!” Chanyeol waves his hands around frantically. He looks the violinist up and down, gulping. “Holy  _ shit _ , dude, you look-.”

“Dumb?” Baekhyun supplies. He’s sure the other man’s flustered state is because he doesn’t want to say anything mean to him.

“No!” Chanyeol splutters, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “I was gonna say you look, uhm, hot.”

Baekhyun stares at him. Now it’s his turn to blush. “Oh.” He looks down, feeling embarrassed. “Thanks?”

“Yeah.” Chanyeol breathes, scratching the back of his neck. “Do you...wanna get something to drink?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” The violinist nods, eager to escape whatever this conversation was between them. The taller leads him to the kitchen, putting his mask back on so it covers his hair but leaves his eyes uncovered. “Hey, Kibum, surprise us.” He says to a man dressed in a pirate costume in Minseok’s kitchen.

“Sure thing, man.” He says, putting down his own drink and opening the cupboards.

“Isn’t that the bartender from Station?” Baekhyun asks, puzzled.

“Yeah, his soulmate, Minho, goes to college with us.” Chanyeol says, leaning against the counter. Baekhyun moves to mirror him, but changes his mind when he feels the shorts straining against his crotch. “What’s wrong with you?”

“These shorts.” Baekhyun groans, pulling the crotch down to readjust himself. “Jongdae bought me a small and my balls are  _ suffocating _ .”

Chanyeol snorts, covering his mouth so as not to laugh at the violinist’s suffering. The way his gaze lingers on Baekhyun’s lower body doesn’t go unnoticed by the violinist. “I feel you, this suit is pretty tight, too.” He winks at Baekhyun.

“Ew, stop that.” He kicks Chanyeol playfully. “So, what are you supposed to be?”

“Seriously?” Chanyeol gasps, placing a hand on his chest dramatically. “I’m Deadpool!” He waits for Baekhyun to say something, but the violinist just stares at him. Chanyeol rolls his eyes. “Why am I not surprised? He’s a superhero, kind of, more like an anti-hero, and he’s very funny.” He explains, interrupted when Kibum places their cups on the counter for them. “Thanks, man.” Chanyeol nods to him.

“Oh, I like anti-heroes!” Baekhyun nods along in understanding. “Like Mr. Rochester, he was  _ very  _ interesting.” He lifts his cup in acknowledgment, taking a sip.

“Who?” Chanyeol gives him a look, the one he gives when Baekhyun’s being obscure.

“From  _ Jane Eyre _ !” Baekhyun pouts. “Did you  _ not  _ read it in high school? It’s a senior year lit staple.”

“I stopped reading in high school past sophomore year.” Chanyeol grimaces, taking a large drink like he needs alcohol in his system for this conversation. “Sparknotes is a blessing.”

“Seriously?” The violinist says, insulted. “You were one of  _ those  _ kids? I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in you.”

“I was not one of  _ those  _ kids.” Chanyeol says defensively. “I was busy being in two AP sciences and maths at once, I didn’t have  _ time  _ to read.”

“That’s even worse.” Baekhyun groans, bonking his forehead against the counter. “We would have  _ never  _ been friends in high school, we were exact polar opposites.” 

“Definitely not. I’m guessing you’re one of the Rowdyruff boys?” Chanyeol asks, taking the opportunity to give Baekhyun another once-over. 

“Excuse me?” Baekhyun gasps. “We’re the Powerpuff Girls, nobody likes the Rowdyruff boys.”

“Okay, okay, my bad.” Chanyeol holds his hands up in surrender. He stands up, gesturing towards the two large glass doors leading outside. “Wanna go out? The back yard is huge.”   
  


“Sure.” Baekhyun grabs his drink, following the taller man outside. He was right, the yard is huge, an olympic size pool in the middle, surrounded on each side by two jacuzzis. Lawn chairs line the back of the pool, along with beach umbrellas. He spots Jongdae and Kyungsoo on the patio to the left at a ping pong table. “What are they doing over there?” Baekhyun grabs Chanyeol’s arm, pointing over at his friends.

“Beer pong.” He says, steering the violinist away from them, towards a set of couches set near a waterfall emptying into the pool. “And before you ask, I will  _ not  _ teach you how to play, not after the pool incident at Jongdae’s birthday party.”

“It’s not my fault you're a sore loser.” Baekhyun laughs, nudging the taller man playfully. “Come on, Yeol.”

“No, no way, I’m not letting you get me black-out drunk. I get...weird, I don’t wanna do something stupid.” Chanyeol gives the shorter man a long look that makes Baekhyun shiver. “One time I climbed a lamp post to impress a guy, jumped off and broke my leg.” Oh. That...that wasn’t what Baekhyun was expecting.

“Why the hell would you do that?” Baekhyun snorts. They reach the couch, taking a seat. Baekhyun has to spread his legs more than usual to let his poor nuts breathe. He regrets for the millionth time tonight letting Jongdae talk him into wearing these stupid shorts. Chanyeol settles next to him, their legs brushing together.

“I was seventeen, and a desperate virgin.” Chanyeol shrugs, sipping his drink with a subtle smirk on his face. “It worked though, you know.” He tilts his head to look at Baekhyun. “Lost my virginity with a cast on, very interesting.”

“How does that even work?” The violinist wrinkles his nose. “That sounds awful.”

“Not the best, obviously, but I didn’t know any better, then.” Chanyeol laughs, his dimple peeking out from his cheek. Baekhyun follows its movement, entranced. “How about you? How’d your first time happen?”

Baekhyun sighs, reminiscing. He leans back into the couch, swirling his drink around in his cup. “Senior year, at graduation.” He looks over at Chanyeol, grinning wryly.

“Like, at your actual graduation?” Chanyeol’s eyes widen. Baekhyun takes a long sip of his drink, fighting back a cheeky grin. “Damn, Baek, are you trying to tell me you were  _ cool _ in high school?”

“Oh definitely not.” Baekhyun laughs, covering his eyes with his hand in embarrassment. “We were in the orchestra together, and he was a white boy; his name was Matt. We, uhm, did it in the instrument storage room an hour before the ceremony.” He screws his eyes shut so as not to see whatever Chanyeol’s reaction is.

“Eww, oh my God.” Chanyeol wheezes, pinching his nose, his eyes all bunched up at the corners.

“Yeah, it was really funny watching him get his diploma with cum on his leg.” The taller man stares at Baekhyun, horrified. “What? We didn’t have time to clean up.”

Chanyeol  _ howls  _ with laughter, his legs flailing around, clapping a hand down  _ hard  _ on Baekhyun’s thigh. “That’s fucking  _ gross _ .” He wheezes, snorting. Baekhyun chuckles, staring down at the other man’s huge hand on his bare thigh, his pinky touching the edge of his short-shorts. “He didn’t notice it?”

“No, I guess he assumed all of it made it into my mouth.” Baekhyun breathes, trying  _ hard  _ not to focus on how warm Chanyeol’s hand is.

Chanyeol chokes on his drink, almost spitting it all out. “Jesus. You surprise me every day, Baek.” The hand on Baekhyun’s thigh squeezes, and the violinist unconsciously sighs, his eyes fluttering. Chanyeol stares at him, hand frozen. Baekhyun freezes up, eyes widening when he realizes what sound he just made. Thankfully, Chanyeol is adept at navigating their several awkward interactions. “Do you, uhm, want another drink? I think there’s an ice chest somewhere by the beach chairs…”

“Yeah, sure, thanks.” Baekhyun scratches his head, watching Chanyeol leave. There is definitely something wrong with him tonight, what the hell was he doing? Having more drinks is probably a  _ huge  _ mistake on his part, but something about the way Chanyeol’s acting tonight makes him want more.

Baekhyun spends the rest of his time at the party on that couch with Chanyeol, a small collection of beer bottles building up on the coffee table in front of them. The taller man’s hand finds its way back to his leg, and Baekhyun lets it happen, ignoring the heat pooling in his gut. They end up leaning back into the couch, Baekhyun’s knees pulled up onto the cushions, Chanyeol’s palm resting on his knee, thumb subconsciously rubbing circles into his skin. 

Chanyeol tells him about all of his romantic blunders, and how he became friends with Jongdae and Kyungsoo, which turned out to be because he caught Jongdae giving someone a blowjob in the physics lab that Chanyeol was a TA in. In return, Baekhyun tells as many embarrassing stories about Jongdae and Kyungsoo from their childhood together as he can remember. Chanyeol’s eyes stay wide with curiosity, his pupils dilated, his cheek smushed against the couch cushion as he nods along to everything Baekhyun says, hanging onto his every word. And if Baekhyun’s eyes stray down to his lips every now and then, he doesn’t mention it, because he was doing just the same.

“So, when do I get to hear you play?” Chanyeol whispers after Baekhyun tells him about a few incidents of him practicing in the dark without his pants on. One time he tripped over his case on the ground, bedpost straight to the balls.

“Hmm, I don’t know.” Baekhyun breathes, pretending to think, hiccuping. “What have you done to earn it?”

Chanyeol is just about to respond when a voice interrupts him. “Don’t you two look cozy.” They jump apart, Baekhyun’s leg cold where Chanyeol’s hand had been. He looks up to see Junmyeon standing in front of them, a sleepy looking Jongdae clinging onto his side, Kyungsoo on the other side with his arms folded.

“Hi. Guys.” Baekhyun says, looking at his friends with wide eyes. Jongdae has that annoyingly cheeky look on his face, and he doesn’t like it. 

“These two are sure ready to go.” Junmyeon nods to his two wasted roommates clinging onto each available side of him.

Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun like he doesn’t want him to go. “What time is it?” Baekhyun frowns.

“Two a.m.”

“Oh,  _ God _ .” Baekhyun moans, dragging a hand down his face, slapping his cheeks. Thankfully his professors had common sense, and classes were canceled tomorrow-today? But, he still had work, where he would have to face Chanyeol again after…  _ all this _ . “Okay, let’s go.” He hauls himself up off the couch, pulling down his shorts. “Bye, Yeol.” Baekhyun says to Chanyeol, who was still laying on the couch, staring at the violinist with glazed over eyes. He just waves, smiling so that his dimple can say goodbye, too.

When Junmyeon drops them all off at the apartment, Jongdae and Kyungsoo bid goodnight to Baekhyun, stumbling into their bedroom and slamming the door shut clumsily.

Baekhyun feels hot, hot all over. He takes a cold shower to try and cool down. It must have been the tight shorts, because he feels like he’s suffocating, even after turning the water off and toweling himself dry. “What’s wrong with you, Baekhyun?” He mumbles to himself in the mirror, drawing a circle around his head in the condensation on the mirror.

He tosses and turns in bed, throwing the sheets off, and turning his fan on to the highest setting. Nothing seems to work, and he groans in frustration, flipping over onto his stomach to shove his face into his pillow. As he moves over, his dick brushes against his sheets, and an involuntary moan rips out of his throat.  _ Fuck _ . Now he’s in trouble.

He tries so hard to ignore it, the heat in his gut, the press of the sheets against his undeniably hard cock. Fifteen more fitful minutes go by, but the room only gets hotter. Baekhyun lets out a long suffering sigh into the pillow, flipping himself back over onto his back. He reaches to grab his cock but hesitates. It feels a little too… exposed. Either one of his roommates could just walk in on him right now. He pulls the sheet back up over himself. Much better.

Baekhyun strokes himself languidly, a hand covering his mouth to muffle his moans. It’s been…awhile since he’s touched himself like this, and he’s a little sensitive. His thumb runs over his slit and he whimpers, bucking up into his own hand. Okay, maybe a  _ lot _ sensitive.

The violinist’s brain is a jumble of thoughts and images, all turning to fuzz on each upstroke of his hand. His brain is so clouded in pleasure he can’t make out who’s appearing in his thoughts, only that his hand feels really fucking good.

At some point, Baekhyun uncovers his mouth in favor of clutching his pillow, so lost in his own pleasure he can’t tell if he’s making noise anymore. Before he knows it, he’s cumming, his hand stuttering at the onset of oversensitivity.

Baekhyun sits there, breathing heavy for a few moments, coming down from the haze in his brain. He looked down at his stomach, where his cum was drying against his skin. He groaned, moving to get out of bed without getting his jizz on his bedsheets. The violinist grabs some tissues to clean himself up, shoving them down to the bottom of his trash can, burying them far out of sight.

Head swimming, Baekhyun trudges back to bed, flopping down face first and grabbing one of his pillows, hugging it to his chest and trying to fall asleep. Relieving himself seems to have done the trick, and he slumbers off easily, slipping into a familiar dream. The deep voice drifts along like a siren, lulling Baekhyun towards something he can’t reach, something dangerous.

-

A few days after Halloween, Baekhyun invites Chanyeol to come listen to him practice during his break before rehearsal. As expected, Chanyeol accepts immediately and enthusiastically. He brings coffee and bagels, holding both cups for the violinist as he sets up his violin. “So, what made you suddenly want to invite me over here?” Chanyeol asks, taking a sip from his own cup.

“You asked.” Baekhyun says simply, sighing when he sees a new fracture has appeared on his bow. “Difference is you never actually asked before.”

“Seriously?” Chanyeol pouts. “You’re telling me I could’ve been getting a personal concert from the boss himself all this time, if I’d  _ asked _ ?”

“Yup.” Baekhyun grins, shutting him up by starting his warmup routine: full chromatic scale and his favorite Disney song. He sends a side glance towards Chanyeol, whose mouth is wide open in shock.

“Did you just play the reflection song from  _ Mulan _ ?” He sputters.

“Yes, but no one will ever believe you.” Baekhyun snickers devilishly, turning away from him to face the music stand. He scans over the music to find where he left off. The piece clocked in at around thirty minutes, and he was somewhere around the twenty minute mark. He took his coffee from Chanyeol to take a quick sip before setting his bow on the strings, and started to play.

This section was difficult, and he stumbles through it, tripping over a few tricky rhythms. Chanyeol sitting there, watching him so intently is making it harder to focus. He makes it to the end of the section, lowering his bow with a pout. “You’re really, distracting, you know that-”

“Baekhyun you-, that was-, you’re-.” Chanyeol stares at him with his wide eyes, a little wetness there. “Amazing.” He breathes.

Baekhyun snorts, turning back to his music, and marking the measures he needed to work on. “That was far from my real ability, I messed up so many times.” He shook his head, picking up his violin again, replaying the measure he tripped up on. “Hmm that’s better…”

“Hey, I listen to a lot of music, Baek, I think I can tell when something sounds good.” Chanyeol reassures him.

“But how much of  _ my  _ music have you listened to, huh?” Baekhyun gives him a look. Chanyeol closes his mouth, speechless. “That’s what I thought.”

“You haven’t given me anything to listen to, Baek.” The taller whines. “I’ve sent you all  _ my  _ favorite songs, so why don’t you give me some.”

The violinist pauses, fingers poised on the strings. He pursed his lips in thought. “Well, first of all, it’s  _ pieces  _ not  _ songs _ .” He points his bow at Chanyeol. “And you have to actually listen to them if I send them to you, got it?”

“Of course!” Chanyeol waves his hands around eagerly. 

“I mean  _ all  _ the way through.” Baekhyun threatens, pressing the point of his bow to the other man’s nose. “Some of my favorites are pretty long. I’m talking thirty minutes to an hour.” Chanyeol gulps, going cross-eyes looking at the bow pressed against his nose, right on the mole there. He blushes. 

“Yes, I will, I swear.” He promises.

“I’ll hold you to that.” 

-

Chanyeol keeps his word, and he diligently listens to each piece Baekhyun sends him over the weekend. At work, he listens intently as Baekhyun tells him the story behind the pieces, and it becomes part of their routine. So far Chanyeol’s favorite is the Tomlinson suite, which makes Baekhyun feel weirdly happy, maybe because it’s slowly becoming his favorite, too. 

Chanyeol’s birthday was approaching, something Baekhyun is reminded of constantly while at work. Chanyeol talks a  _ lot _ , and sometimes goes on little tangents that usually lead to “oh I’d love to do that on my birthday”, or “I hope someone gets me this for my birthday”, and with every day that goes by the violinist still has no idea what to get him. Sure, he’s provided several suggestions of what he wants, but none of them sit right with Baekhyun. Plus there’s no  _ way  _ he’d be able to afford the brand new telescope model Chanyeol had raved about to him for an entire day.

Out of desperation, Baekhyun asks his roommates for advice on a gift.

“Give him head.” Jongdae said as soon as the question left Baekhyun’s mouth.

“This was a bad idea.” Baekhyun mumbles to himself, massaging his temple in an attempt to stave off the incoming headache from having this conversation.

“He loves cooking, maybe get him a spice rack?” Kyungsoo suggests helpfully. 

“He already has one.” Baekhyun pouts. “What are you guys getting him?”

“Vinyl  _ Guardians of the Galaxy _ album.” Kyungsoo says. “He loves old music, kinda just like you.”

“That is  _ not _ true at all.” Baekhyun reproaches.

“Kyungsoo’s right. You’re both stuck a century behind the rest of us.” Jongdae teases. “I’m getting him the box sets of  _ Parks and Rec _ .”

Baekhyun frowns, thinking hard. Well that wasn’t very helpful. Those were both things  _ he  _ would have thought to give him. Those were basically all of Chanyeol’s interests: cooking, music, and TV.

“I’m telling, you, Baek, head is the right way to go. Chanyeol  _ does  _ love blowjobs.”

“I think I’m gonna go practice, now.” Baekhyun stands up abruptly to go to his room. Jongdae shoots him a ‘ _ your loss _ ’ as he leaves, and the violinist flips him off. 

He’s able to focus on practicing for about thirty minutes before an idea starts to trickle into his brain.  _ Music _ . A shared interest. Baekhyun was good at music, well not just  _ good _ , more like a professional at it. Chanyeol  _ had  _ asked him to play for him. No, that's an absurd idea. Baekhyun resumes practicing, but the idea itches at him, a distraction, and he trips up more than he usually does. Scowling, he packs up his violin for the day, and digs around in his backpack for some spare staff paper, a pen, and his airpods. He scrolls through his playlists, selecting “Songs from Yoda” and putting it on shuffle. Baekhyun peruses through the music, skipping until he can find the right one to make this work. “There you are…” He mumbles to himself, pulling up the staff paper to start penning down what he heard in the song. Now he was getting somewhere.

-

“You know my birthday is on Sunday.” Chanyeol says, trying to sound casual, but Baekhyun can hear the excited tremor to his voice.

“Yup. Sunday is November twenty-seventh.” Baekhyun throws him a glance, sweeping a pile of spilled candy into his dustpan. “You’ve told me.”

“Oh.” The taller sounds a little dejected. He gives Baekhyun a series of pointed looks the whole time they finish cleaning the theater, as if he’s waiting for the violinist to ask him something. Baekhyun lets him dangle, curious to see what it is. “We’re going to the L.A Arboretum then. They have the special light show thing going on right now.”

“That sounds nice.” Baekhyun grunts as he hauls the trash bags into the dumpster. Chanyeol lets out a frustrated sigh.

“I want you to come.” Chanyeol blurts out.

Baekhyun's head whips around in surprise. “You do?”

“Yeah.” Chanyeol looks down at his shoes, scratching the back of his head, the tips of his ears bright red. If Baekhyun was an honest man, he’d say the sight was adorable. “Seven-o’clock. Jongdae and Kyungsoo are coming too.”

“Oh. Okay.” Baekhyun says, a warm feeling settling somewhere in his stomach. “Can’t wait.” He gives Chanyeol his best smile, and receives a dimple in return.

-

“Jongdae I am  _ not _ dressing up for Chanyeol’s birthday.” Baekhyun struggles, pinned to his own bed by his best friend, Kyungsoo sitting at his desk chair, watching them passively. “That’s ridiculous.”

“I’m not asking you to dress up, babes.” Jongdae cages him in with his thighs on either side of him to stop Baekhyun’s struggle. “Just try the jeans on, please, I’m  _ begging  _ you.”

“They’re black! It doesn’t make any sense, jeans are supposed to be made out of denim.” Baekhyun seethes through gritted teeth. “It’s an idiotic metonymy that just makes the English language even more confusing than it already is.”

Jongdae sits up, releasing Baekhyun’s arms from his grip. “God, you’re such a dork, just put the damn pants on.”

Baekhyun presses his mouth into a thin line. “Fine. I’ll try the  _ pants  _ on. Because that’s what they are.  _ Pants _ .” Jongdae rolls his eyes, but let’s the violinist out of his trap, tossing the pair of  _ pants _ towards him.

“They might be a little loose on you, since my ass is so big.” Jongdae comments snidely as Baekhyun shucks the shorts he’d been wearing. The violinist throws his balled up shorts at him in retaliation. He pulls the pants on, the width of his hips making up for his lack of ass, and they fit perfectly, another advantage to having friends that are the same size as you. 

“So? What’s the verdict.” He mumbles, turning around in place to give his roommates the full view.

“You look great.” Kyungsoo says, sending him a thumbs-up in approval.

“Yes, I agree.” Jongdae considers him thoughtfully. “You need heels too, I’ll get you my boots.”

“No, absolutely not, that’s enough.” Baekhyun rushes forward to stop him. “I need to be able to walk, you’re trying to break my ankles.”   
  


“Fine, fine, I’m done.” Jongdae throws his hands up. “You can wear your dirty ass Adidas, that’s fine.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, changing into a forest green t-shirt, tucking it into his pants. It really doesn’t go with his new hair color, but he hadn’t planned his wardrobe for this radical of a change. As a solution, he borrows Kyungsoo’s black Nike hat.

Kyungsoo calls shotgun, leaving Baekhyun stuck in the backseat with his roommates presents for the birthday boy. “Where’s your present, Baek?” Jongdae turns around from the front seat.

“Don’t have one.” Baekhyun buckles himself in. Jongdae stares at him, looking like he’s going to explode. “What?”

“Baekhyun Byun, you’re killing me.” He says weakly, shaking his head in disappointment. “Kyungsoo, you have the aux cord.” 

They met up at Tops, a fast food place a few minutes away from the arboretum. Chanyeol is already inside, sitting at the large corner booth with Sehun and Jongin. There’s a pile of presents underneath the table, which makes Baekhyun’s stomach turn nervously. Then there’s Chanyeol himself. When he stands up to greet Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Kyungsoo at the door, there’s something off about him.

“Chanyeol, what the hell did you do to your hair.” Baekhyun says in lieu of a hello. Instead of his normal fluffy, long curls, there’s a short, brown bowl shaped around his head. His elf ears stick out more than usual.

“Hello to you, too, Baekhyun.” The taller blushes. “It’s a family tradition, every year on my birthday, my mom gives me a bowl cut.”

“And it looks just as ridiculous as it always does.” Jongdae claps him on the shoulder. “Kyungsoo and I, brought you presents.” He holds up the two bags in his hands. “ _ He  _ didn’t.” Him and Kyungsoo both brush past Chanyeol, leaving their roommate to stand there and bask in his own embarrassment. 

“Seriously?” Chanyeol pouts, padding backwards to the booth.

“I do have something for you.” Baekhyun follows him. “I’ll give it to you tomorrow if you come by the music building at lunchtime.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widen, tripping over his own feet in excitement. “Oh, yes, definitely, okay, yes, I will!” They join the rest of their friends at the booth, and Chanyeol leaves the spot next to him open for the violinist to sit next to him. Baekhyun takes it with a sense of satisfaction.

“Alright, then. Now that everyone’s here, can we eat now?” Sehun grins, eyeing the spread of food on the table. There’s pastrami fries, regular fries, burgers, and a big bowl of salad. Baekhyun’s mouth waters, the scent of the meat making his stomach growl.

“Yes, yes, but I get first pick.” Chanyeol slaps Sehun’s hand away from the pastrami fries, pulling the basket closer to his side of the table.

“How about a toast, first?” Jongin suggests, placing a comforting hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. He raises his cup of peach soda. “Happy birthday, Chanyeol!” The table echoes the toast, and Chanyeol positively beams at all of them.

“Thank you, guys, you’re all really the bestest friends a guy could have.” He says through a mouthful of pastrami. “I can’t wait to open all of my presents, that’ll judge how good of friends you really are.” The table boos him, Kyungsoo throwing a salt packet at him. “Kidding, I’m kidding.”

Baekhyun devours two burgers easily, removing the vegetables from them, despite Chanyeol’s protests. He pays him no attention. Burgers were made to be cheese, burger, ketchup, and bun, period. No stupid vegetables. Across the table, Kyungsoo and Jongdae feed each other french fries, oblivious to Baekhyun and Chanyeol teasing them to each other. Under the table, Chanyeol knocks their knees together, or kicks his shoes, and they end up in a secret game of footsie, unnoticed by the rest of their friends, and Baekhyun’s stomach flips around on itself violently.

“Is it time for presents yet?” Jongdae says once the table is clear. “That’s the best part of every birthday.”

“You know they’re  _ my  _ presents, right?” Chanyeol wipes his mouth with his napkin, reaching under the table to pull all the bags up.

“Yes, of course they are, I just love the attention when someone opens a gift from me.” He simpers, sucking on his straw.

“I’ll make sure to open yours last.” Chanyeol reassures him, always so accommodating.

Chanyeol opens all his presents with a childlike excitement, his dimple imprinted in his cheek all the while. He gives everyone their proper thanks, making sure to spend ample time on each present. Watching his reactions make Baekhyun nervous with anticipation for when he gives his tomorrow. Sehun gets him a new cutting board shaped like a puppy, Jongin a set of matching Zootopia pajamas that spark a whole new set of questions for Baekhyun, especially with how excited Chanyeol is to see them. 

“Where’s your present, Baekhyun?” Sehun questions once Chanyeol tucks all of his presents back into their bags.

“It hasn’t… arrived, yet.” Baekhyun presses his lips together. Technically, that’s true. He hasn’t delivered it to Chanyeol yet.

Sehun shakes his head in disappointment. “I expected more from you.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but the trepidation he feels about his choice still doesn’t go away.

“I can’t wait to see it.” Chanyeol whispers, patting the violinist’s knee comfortingly, but it only makes the storm in Baekhyun’s stomach churn harder.

Kyungsoo and Jongin help clear the table, and Baekhyun and Jongdae carry Chanyeol’s presents to his car for him. They all thank Sehun for the meal, as he insisted on paying, and get into their respective cars to head for the arboretum. Baekhyun was excited to see the light show. His mom used to take him to the arboretum back in elementary school after their therapy appointments, but they never made it to see the famous Moonlight Forest.

Jongdae parks the car in the back lot next to Chanyeol’s. There’s a huge line at the entrance. Baekhyun catches a glimpse of a group of lantern-pandas past the crowd, and his excitement inflates even more.

“Okay, everyone, here are your tickets. We don’t all have to walk together, if you see something that looks nice, go ahead and look around.” Chanyeol hands out the tickets as the line moves up more.

“We should sneak off to look at the lantern palace.” Baekhyun hears Kyungsoo whisper to Jongdae. “Lots of space in there, plenty of privacy.” 

“Okay.” Jongdae whispers, louder, and Baekhyun wrinkles his nose in distaste. Nice to know his best friends were ditching him. He shuffles away from them to walk next to Sehun and Jongin, who were also whispering to each conspiratorially. Baekhyun sighs. That leaves him and Chanyeol then. He has a feeling his friends were doing this on purpose.

They reach the ticket taker, and then they’re in. Baekhyun’s jaw drops when he sees the lights. There were pandas and bamboo, all made out of lanterns, lighting the whole entrance pathway, the pandas in different poses. Some were playing with each other, and others stood with their families, the cubs hanging off their parents’ necks. “Wow.” Baekhyun looks all around him, speechless. “It’s beautiful!”

“It gets better.” Chanyeol comes up next to him, clutching a map between his hands.

“Have you been here before?” Baekhyun asks, falling into step next to him. He watches Jongdae and Kyungsoo walk ahead of them, their arms linked and sides pressed together.

“Yeah, I usually come with my parents and my sister, but my dad’s in Korea this year.” Chanyeol walks with his hands in his pockets, his voice carrying a note of nostalgia.

“I used to come with my mom.” Baekhyun replies. “Never this time of year, though, but I wish I had.”

“Well, we’re here now.” Chanyeol looks down at him, his smile as bright as the lights surrounding them. Baekhyun smiles back at him, despite the rapid beating of his heart.

Just as Baekhyun had guessed, Jongdae and Kyungsoo, and Sehun and Jongin go their separate ways, leaving Baekhyun and Chanyeol to walk alone. The first few minutes together are a little tense, a nervous silence stretching between them, Chanyeol walking at a distance from him. Just as it’s about to become unbearable, a huge peacock appears on the path, huge tail feathers out on display. Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun, a devious smile creeping on his face, before lunging towards the peacock, imitating loud, strangled squawking sounds. “Chanyeol what the hell are you doing?” Baekhyun cries out, looking around nervously. The other groups of people walking around stare at Chanyeol in disgust, annoyance, exasperation, or all at once. “Chanyeol.” Baekhyun whines. “Please stop.”

Chanyeol doesn’t listen, flapping his arms around and squawking like an idiot. The peacock flairs its feathers at him. Baekhyun stops, glancing between Chanyeol and the bird. “He thinks I’m hot.” Chanyeol says smugly, turning to the violinist and giving him his best charming smile.

Baekhyun sighs, folding his arms. “Are you done now? People are staring at us.” He grimaces apologetically at a couple passing by, staring at Chanyeol like he’d grown another head.

Chanyeol takes a step back from the peacock, putting his hands on his hips. The bird swishes its feathers at him, as if it was offended by Chanyeol deceiving it. “I’ll miss you, my love.” Chanyeol blows a kiss to the peacock as it makes its way down the opposite side of the path. “Come on, let’s go look at the flower garden.” He links his arm through Baekhyun’s, dragging him forwards away from the bamboo forest.

Chanyeol takes pictures of everything. Everything. He insists on getting a shot of him and Baekhyun with every single light display. Baekhyun goes along with it, not just because it’s Chanyeol’s birthday. The lights are  _ beautiful _ . It’s something out of a fairytale, each display designed with such intricate detail. Baekhyun never wanted to leave, and maybe the way Chanyeol clung onto his arm all along the way had something to do with it.

“This is just amazing, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun sighs happily, reaching up to touch one of the paper lanterns hanging up in a row. “I can’t believe I’ve never seen this before…”   
  


“Oh, I know.” Chanyeol grins. “It almost makes all the light pollution worth it.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes, swatting the taller’s arm. “Kidding, It’s completely worth it.”

Baekhyun smiles, digging his phone out of his back pocket. “Come here.”

“Huh?” Chanyeol turns around, confusion knitting his brows together.

“I want to take a picture. Of us.” Baekhyun says, nervous. He gives the taller man his best smile, hoping it doesn’t look forced. “So, come here.” He hadn’t taken any pictures of his own yet. This seemed like a good opportunity.

“Okay.” Chanyeol says softly, his frown melting away. He steps towards Baekhyun, holding his arms out for Baekhyun to stand in. The violinist swallows his nerves, allowing Chanyeol to wrap his arm around his shoulder. Feeling brave, Baekhyun snakes his arm around the other’s waist, resting on his hip.

“Happy birthday, Yeol.” Baekhyun leans his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder before snapping the picture. He hopes Chanyeol can’t hear how hard his heart is beating.

They stay like that for a while, living in their own little world, admiring the lights around them. “Thanks, Baek.” Chanyeol says after a few quiet moments. “I’m  _ really  _ happy we met, even with the weird, very uncomfortable, way that we did.”

Baekhyun looks up at him, resting his chin on the taller’s shoulder. “I’m happy my roommate’s uncontrollable libido brought us together, too.”

“You ruined it.” Chanyeol wrinkles his nose, but makes no moves to pull away. ‘My birthday present better make up for that.”

“I promise it will.” Baekhyun smiles. He rests his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder again, feeling like he’s at peace. Being this close with him should scare him, but for some reason it doesn’t. It’s comfortable, and familiar. Truthfully, it’s nice to have a friend he can trust like this, besides Jongdae and Kyungsoo, it was something he’d missed in the past year. 

Over by the light palace, Baekhyun sees his roommates sneaking out of the back side. “Is that Jongdae and Kyungsoo?”

“Where?” Chanyeol moves away from Baekhyun, scanning around the area. Baekhyun points in the direction of the palace. “Oh. Oh, gross.” They were walking towards the lanterns. “You see that right?”

“You mean the huge mark on Jongdae’s neck, yes I see it.” Baekhyun laughs, feeling secondhand embarrassment at the sight of his disheveled best friends.

“They’re really going at each other like a couple of horny teenagers, aren’t they.” Chanyeol snorts. “Come on, stand like this.” He nudges Baekhyun, folding his arms and adopting a stern look on his face.

“Why?” Baekhyun mirrors him anyways, trying to look intimidating.

“We have to look like we know what they were doing, without saying anything.” Chanyeol explains, watching Jongdae and Kyungsoo come closer. “Otherwise Jongdae gives us all the details, and Kyungsoo will get all embarrassed.”

“Smart.” Baekhyun nods.

“Hey guys.” Kyungsoo greets them. The bald man’s face is flushed, and there’s a spot on his glasses that makes Baekhyun want to vomit. “Where’s Sehun and Jongin?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Chanyeol shrugs. “Where were you two?”

“Light palace.” Jongdae grins like there isn’t a bright red mark on the side of his neck. “You guys should go look, it’s  _ huge _ !”

“I think we’re good.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. His best friends look at him quizzically. “ _ We  _ looked at everything, so we’re ready to go, right Chanyeol?” The taller man nods in affirmation. “We’re ready.”

Jongdae and Kyungsoo look at each other, confused, but follow them towards the exit nonetheless. Chanyeol sends Baekhyun a knowing grin, and the violinist can’t help but smile back.

That night it takes Baekhyun  _ hours _ to get to sleep, unable to get rid of the butterflies running rampant in his stomach.

-

**i'm on my way rn**

**can’t wait to see what it is!!**

**( >_･ )**

Baekhyun tucks his phone away, wiping his sweaty palms on his slacks. Yes, he was wearing slacks to present Chanyeol with his birthday present, and a mandarin collar too, and he was already regretting it. He was sweating like crazy. California weather was unpredictable, and it just happened to be one of those Mondays where the outside temperature increases by fifteen degrees overnight. 

The knock on the studio door nearly made Baekhyun jump out of his own skin. He wipes his hands off one more time before opening the door. Chanyeol stands there in plain shirt and shorts. His face flushes when he takes in Baekhyun’s appearance. “Should I have dressed up?” He asks sheepishly, stepping inside.

“No, no, you’re fine.” Baekhyun motions for him to sit at the special padded folding chair he brought in for the occasion. “This is part of your present.”

“I see.” Chanyeol smiles, crossing his legs and folding his hands on top of them. He scans Baekhyun’s outfit up and down in appreciation. “I’m loving the view.”

Baekhyun blushes, ignoring the comment and picking up his violin to make sure he’s in tune and warmed up. “I’d just like to remind you that I’m not a  _ composition _ major, so I don’t know how good this is going to be.” He rambles nervously, fiddling with the strings on the violin.

“I’m sure it’ll be great.” Chanyeol assures him, his dimple cheering him on.

Baekhyun nods, taking a deep breath before starting to play the piece. Despite his nerves and shaking fingers, he manages to get it to sound just the way he wanted it to. It was weird how scared he was of Chanyeol’s opinion; he had no problem playing in front of a judge for an audition, but here he was sweating profusely like a fool.

Chanyeol lets out a muffled gasp when he recognizes what Baekhyun’s playing, and he starts humming along quietly. It gives Baekhyun the confidence he needs to shut down his nerves and just play how he feels. 

He finishes, letting the last note ring out before he lowers his bow. “Sorry it wasn’t perfect, I-.”

“Baekhyun shut  _ up  _ I can’t  _ believe _ you fucking wrote Country Roads for  _ me _ .” Chanyeol cuts him off, spluttering. Baekhyun looks up and sees his eyes are huge, and wet like he was about to start crying.

“So you liked it then?” Baekhyun asks quietly, setting down his violin and bow. “I didn’t know what else to get you.”

“I loved it.” Chanyeol sniffles. “Can I hug you?” He looks up at Baekhyun with big, hopeful eyes.

Baekhyun’s heart skips a beat, his face growing all hot. “O-okay.” He whispers, shifting on his feet. “Get over here, then.”

Chanyeol grins, shuffling forwards towards the violinist, holding out his arms. Baekhyun falls into them, wrapping his arms around Chanyeol’s slim waist. “Happy birthday, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun says into his chest. The taller man sighs in content, his large hands rubbing Baekhyun’s shoulders. He leans down, resting his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder. From there, Baekhyun can feel everything: his hard, muscled chest, how warm he is, and the rapid beating of his heart. He can also feel Chanyeol’s shoulders shaking. “Are you just doing this so I can’t see you crying?”

“No…” Chanyeol sniffles, his voice warbling. He stays there for a few moments, trembling some more. “Maybe.”

Baekhyun laughs, pulling away from the hug to get a good look at Chanyeol’s crying face, where his eyes are even larger than normal.

“Stop it.” Chanyeol sniffles, trying to hide his face, but failing.

“Come on, you big baby, let’s go get something to eat.” Baekhyun smiles, and Chanyeol returns it, dimples and everything.

-

December arrives a week after Chanyeol’s birthday, and it starts getting colder outside more frequently, and Baekhyun finds himself wearing more sweaters, and long sleeves under his work shirt. It’s pouring rain one day when Baekhyun arrives to work, running through the wet streets as quick as he can. He’s relieved when he reaches the theater, throwing the doors open and sighing in relief, it’s nice and toasty inside. On his way to the locker room, the violinist passes by a movie poster that makes him do a double take, tracing his steps backwards to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. 

They weren’t, it really was a  _ Pride and Prejudice _ movie poster. Baekhyun blinked, reading and re-reading the print on the poster. December fifteenth, special classics week, reshowing of seven classical movies. Baekhyun’s jaw dropped, and he  _ ran  _ to get changed and find Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol Park you  _ bastard _ .” Baekhyun slams the door of the locker room open, making the man in question jump, dropping his phone.

“Jesus, Baek.” He presses a hand to his chest to calm himself down. “What did I do?”

“You didn’t tell me we were doing a screening of  _ Pride and Prejudice _ !” Baekhyun yells, flailing his arms around wildly. “What the hell? How can I get tickets?”

Chanyeol blinks. That clearly wasn’t what he was expecting. “Uhm, well, those have been sold out since last month…” Baekhyun’s eye twitches, and he gives the taller man a look so venomous Chanyeol turns pale. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know you liked it, I swear!”

Baekhyun’s face falls, his whole body drooping. He pushes past Chanyeol without a word, opening his locker and slamming his head against the door. “I think I’m going to cry.” He moans dramatically. “Just leave me here for a few hours, please.”

“Baek, come on.” Chanyeol nudges him, but Baekhyun doesn’t move. “I can rent it and we can watch it together this weekend.” He tries, but the violinist only groans louder.

“You don’t understand, Yeol.” Baekhyun turns to look at him, pout in full force. “It’s my  _ favorite  _ movie, I never got to see it in theaters.” It was true, he was thirteen when the movie came out, but him and his mom were going through really tough times, resulting in Baekhyun isolating himself up in his bedroom for several weeks. “It’s kind of important to me.” He mumbles, not feeling like explaining himself further.

“Oh, uhm, I’m sorry.” Chanyeol awkwardly pats Baekhyun’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. “I’ll make sure to remember that next time it happens?”

Baekhyun sighs, standing up and straightening himself. “It’s okay. I’m good now. Let’s go to work.” Chanyeol nods, but purses his lips in thought. Baekhyun doesn’t question it.

-

On December fifteenth, Baekhyun tries to avoid sounding bitter about the whole  _ Pride and Prejudice _ thing, not wanting to make Chanyeol feel more guilty than he already does. He’d been sending Baekhyun these sad, puppy eyes whenever they were at work that make him feel stupid about making it such a big deal.

At seven, fifteen minutes before the showing is supposed to start, Chanyeol starts acting weird. He insists they throw out their trash bags before they’re even full, and buys a box of nachos from the snack bar when he’d told Baekhyun he was going to take a pee break. Sehun joins him when he comes back. “Hey, Baek. Catch.” Chanyeol says, tossing the violinist a pack of Starburst.

“What’s going on?” Baekhyun looks between Chanyeol and Sehun.

“I’m covering your shift.” Sehun folds his arm, looking annoyed.

“Why?” Baekhyun turns his attention to Chanyeol.

“Because  _ we’re _ gonna be busy.” Chanyeol grins, throwing an arm around the violinist and dragging him away. “Thank you Sehun!” He calls behind him. Sehun only shakes his head, grumbling to himself and grabbing a trash bag from their cart.

“Chanyeol where the hell are we going?” Baekhyun frowns. “Just because your mom’s the owner doesn’t mean  _ I _ won’t get in trouble.”

“We,” Chanyeol steers them into a theater, entering behind an elderly couple. The taller man holds the door open for them like the gentleman he is. “Are watching a movie.” Baekhyun opens his mouth to say something, but Chanyeol shushes him, ushering him into the theater. He leads the violinist to the steps leading to the lower seating section of the theater. Instead of taking them, Chanyeol sits down on the first step, motioning for Baekhyun to do the same.

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun folds his arms. “What’s going on? Please?”

“Don’t be so dense.” Chanyeol gives him an exasperated look. “What do you think we’re watching?”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen, mouth forming an “o” in surprise. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” The taller man nods. “Now sit.” Baekhyun sits, pressing close to Chanyeol to keep at least part of the stairway clear. Chanyeol offers him his nachos, and Baekhyun smiles, taking a handful.

“Are you sure you won’t get in trouble for this?” Baekhyun whispers. On the screen, the previews end, the theater’s logo and opening video playing.

“Nah, my mom’s pretty cool.” Chanyeol assures him. “You said this was important, so…”

“It is.” Baekhyun says, turning his head to look at Chanyeol. “This… was the first movie my mom and I watched together after we fought over…” He trails off, biting his lip. Chanyeol turns to face him, lightly nudging his thigh, encouraging him to go on. “After she told me how my dad died. I-I was...really angry at her. This movie was how we made up, we watched it every year after that.”

Chanyeol nods in understanding. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this.” He gestures towards the screen. “I promise I’ll tell you next time we have Classical week.” His eyes are wide with sincerity, and Baekhyun melts.

“It’s okay.” Baekhyun knocks their knees together. “You’ve brought me here now, and that’s what matters.” Chanyeol smiles, and the sight knocks something loose in Baekhyun’s hard heart. The violinist snaps a picture of the title screen to send to his mom, partially to gloat that he gets to have the full theater experience. He pockets his phone, excitement building in his chest. As the movie starts on the screen, Baekhyun drags his gaze away from Chanyeol, but his heart keeps thumping in his chest. Baekhyun chews on his lip, sliding his hand towards Chanyeol’s, brushing it with his pinky. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Chanyeol startle. Feeling brave, Baekhyun slides his whole hand over Chanyeol’s. He feels the taller’s knuckles twitch underneath his palm, then turn over so they can intertwine their fingers. Baekhyun is thankful for the cover of darkness in the theater, so Chanyeol can’t see the violent shade of red on his face, and for the surround sound of the theater, so he can’t hear his heartbeat racing.

They stay that way for the rest of the movie, sitting in comfortable silence. Baekhyun feels elated; mostly because he’s finally seeing his favorite movie in theaters, and partially because he’s holding Chanyeol’s hand. For some reason, his heart doesn’t stop pounding the whole movie, but he doesn't feel distressed. The weird feeling in his gut that’s been there for weeks now appears again, always when he’s around Chanyeol. Chanyeol just makes him feel so  _ warm _ . Baekhyun is far from a stable person, and he’s shown that to the taller man more times than he can count, but yet here he is. Sneaking him into the theater to see Baekhyun’s favorite movie, skipping out on work, and holding his hand.

As Baekhyun watches Lizzy realise she’s fallen for Mr. Darcy, he realises something too, and the thought hits him with the strength of a freight train.

After work that evening, Chanyeol offers to drive Baekhyun home, and he accepts with the strength of a thousand butterflies raging in his stomach. Baekhyun has to clench his hands in the pockets of his hoodie to prevent himself from reaching over to take Chanyeol’s hand again.

“Thank you again, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun says, leaning against the door when they reach his apartment. “Did you like the movie?” His heart stutters when Chanyeol smiles.

“I loved it.” He says, and Baekhyun knows he’s being sincere. “I might have to actually read the book now.” He winks. Baekhyun blushes.

“You better.” He teases, but his voice comes out weak. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Yeol.” Baekhyun steps back to let him drive away, waving him off. He only turns back to go inside once Chanyeol’s car is completely out of sight.

Baekhyun can’t sleep. The feeling of Chanyeol’s hand on his own plays through his mind on a loop. He stares at the ceiling, drenched in confusion. He scans through his memories, looking for an answer. When the  _ hell  _ did he fall for Chanyeol?

And how?

In his whole life, Baekhyun had never had feelings like this. For anyone. Up to this point, he’d thought it was impossible, especially in a world where everyone you take interest in is only waiting to see if they’ll dream about you at night. To see if you were soulmates. Soulmates. Baekhyun screws his eyes shut, willing the thought away. But it doesn’t, it comes at him full force, twisting his train of thought in a completely unwanted direction. His recurring dream is starting to become clearer, and Baekhyun starts to panic.

There is… a possibility, a  _ possibility _ , that Chanyeol is his soulmate.

-

Baekhyun does his best to act normal around Chanyeol. He knows avoiding him again is  _ not  _ an option, not when he treasures their friendship so much. Juggling his feelings for Chanyeol and maintaining a sense of normalcy is hard, but the promise of Christmas keeps him distracted. The orchestra’s Christmas concert would happen a few days after the day, too, and his roommates wanted to hold their own celebration before it. Additionally, he has his LA Phil audition to practice for, coming up in less than a month. Baekhyun can work this out on his own, in the little free time he has. 

Jongdae insists that they get a tree. Not a real one, because Kyungsoo has allergies. A big fake plastic one from a Christmas warehouse near Los Angeles, along with a car trunk’s worth of decorations. Baekhyun thinks it’s a little too much for three people, and he says so, but Jongdae just retorts with “ _ why don’t you invite Chanyeol, then _ ?”. Baekhyun can’t argue with that, so he does.

Inviting Chanyeol to Christmas means inviting him to his concert, too, and suddenly his schedule is filled with Chanyeol.

As soon as he sends the text to invite him over, Baekhyun realizes he needs to get him a Christmas present. He panics for a few minutes, their Christmas party is three days and he has nothing. He’d completely forgotten to get something for Chanyeol in the midst of trying to suppress his brain’s insatiable need to press him up against the nearest wall. He can’t just play another piece for him, that would be tacky considering he did the same thing just under a month ago.

What else can he get for Chanyeol? A DVD set? Baekhyun shakes his head. No, that’s unnecessary. He already has Netflix and Hulu. The only other thing he can think of is something cooking related, but what? Baekhyun doesn’t know enough about the culinary world to buy him anything. Suddenly, an idea hits him. It might not work, it’s something...very personal to him, and maybe he shouldn’t… but no. Baekhyun trusts him enough for this. He picks up his phone to make a call. 

“Hey, Mom? Can I come over today? I need your help with something.”

-

“Hi, Ma.” Baekhyun calls from the doorstep of his apartment when he sees the minivan pull up on the street.

She pokes her head out the window, waving at her son. “Get your ass out here, already!” Baekhyun laughs, jogging down the path. He gets in on the passenger side, leaning over the center console to pull her into a hug. “How are you baby, I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever! What did you do to your hair?” She plants a loud, wet kiss on her son’s forehead.

Baekhyun whines, weakly pushing her away, “I’m good, Ma. Jongdae made me dye it for Halloween.”

“It looks cute.” His mom smiles, ruffling his hair affectionately. “Are you hungry? Let’s go get some lunch.”

“In n Out?” Baekhyun guesses.

“What else?” His mom grins, backing out of Baekhyun’s driveway. “Put some music on for me, Baby.”

They drive through the nearest In n Out, Baekhyun ordering his usual two double-doubles with no vegetables, and only ketchup. They eat in the parking lot, listening to Baekhyun’s “Songs from Yoda” playlist.

“I’m loving the music choices, today.” His mom comments casually, handing her son a napkin to wipe the sauce off his face. “When did you start listening to this kind of stuff?”

“Couple months or so.” Baekhyun wipes his mouth. “My new, uhm,  _ friend _ , Chanyeol’s been making me listen to it.”

“Oh yeah?” She side-eyes Baekhyun. She knows her son very well. “Is that the  _ friend  _ you need my help with getting a present for.”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun blushes. “He’s a cook so I thought…” He trails off, feeling uncomfortable with his idea around his mom.

“I get it, Baby.” She soothes, placing a comforting hand on her son’s head, stroking his forehead lovingly. “Trust me, I do. And I have no problem with it.”

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun leans into her touch, inhaling shakily. “Because I can always get him something else-”

“Hyunee. Shh, shh, it’s okay.” She pulls him closer, resting his head on her shoulder despite the awkward angle. “You have feelings for him, and you want to give him something special. I think it’s a  _ great  _ idea, very sweet.” His mom thumbs away the tears forming under Baekhyun’s eyes.

Baekhyun feels relief flooding through him, he’d been so afraid of how his mom would react. “He’s coming to my Christmas concert, you can meet him then.”

“I can’t wait.” She beams, cupping Baekhyun’s face between both hands. “Now, let’s get going, we have a present to prepare.”

-

Christmas Eve at the apartment is as festive as can be. The tree is fully decorated, presents all stacked up neatly underneath it. In the kitchen, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are cleaning up the remnants of their dinner: chicken soup dumplings, roasted duck, and pork cabbage rolls. The food was delicious, of course, the combined forces of Chanyeol and Kyungsoo cooking the best meal Baekhyun had ever eaten. 

Now, Baekhyun and Jongdae sit on the living room couch, waiting for the cooks to finish cleaning. “Could you go any slower?” Jongdae yells in frustration. “I wanna open my damn presents already!”

“I second that.” Baekhyun grunts.

“Yes, actually I could go slower, and you know it.” Kyungsoo pokes his head out of the kitchen, a fiery look in his eyes. “Be patient.”

Jongdae sighs, folding his arms angrily. “I should have never wasted my money on that little gremlin.” He sniffs, but Baekhyun knows he doesn’t mean it.

“Liar.” Baekhyun teases.

“Yeah, I know.” Jongdae hums longingly. “His tight ass is so worth it.” Baekhyun shoves him in disgust, his roommate cackling and shoving him back, inciting a vicious tickling fight.

“Really, guys?” Chanyeol’s voice startles them out of their fight. He stands there, with his hands on his hips. “We’re finished now, if you guys are ready to act like adults.” Baekhyun and Jongdae break apart, the violinist getting in one least kick before Chanyeol sits in between them. The taller man knocks their knees together, and Baekhyun’s heart stutters, as usual.

Kyungsoo enters the room, moving to stand in front of the couch. “So, who’s gonna be the one handing out presents?”

“Rock paper scissors?” Chanyeol suggests, and everyone agrees. Jongdae ends up losing to all of them, pouting as he gets up to dig for presents underneath the tree. “Hey, don’t just grab your presents first!” Chanyeol scolds him when he sees Jongdae reach for a green package with his name labeled on it.

“Fine!” Jongdae sets it down, grabbing a red package to the right of it. “This one’s for you, Soo.”

Kyungsoo receives a new set of professional knives from Chanyeol, a history of east Asian cooking techniques from Baekhyun, and two boxes from Jongdae: one containing a brand new sherpa jacket, the other labeled “please don’t open in front of our friends.” Kyungsoo grimaces when he reads the label, and Jongdae laughs at his expression. Chanyeol whispers to Baekhyun, “How much do you wanna bet it’s a cock ring?”

Baekhyun chokes on his drink, but quickly recovers. “Ten dollars it’s a remote control vibrator.” The violinist whispers back.

Chanyeol’s eyes widen, the tips of his ears turning pink. “You’re on.” He grins wickedly.

Jongdae grabs Chanyeol’s presents next. Baekhyun’s heart rate picks up when he sees his present dropped on Chanyeol’s lap. He takes a sip of his eggnog to calm himself down.

Chanyeol must have noticed the tag on Baekhyun’s present, because he saves it for last. Baekhyun watches him open his presents, enthralled by his radiant smile, and ever-present dimple. The tall man receives a graphic novel from Kyungsoo, and an oversized NASA bomber jacket from Jongdae. He thanks them all profusely before getting into Baekhyun’s present. Chanyeol gives Baekhyun a warm look, eyes soft, before carefully removing the wrapping paper on the present. 

Baekhyun watches with bated breath, and he notices Jongdae and Kyungsoo doing the same, for some reason. 

When the paper is removed, he reveals a brown leather book, binded shut with a black leather string. Chanyeol carefully unties the string, opening the book, and gasps when he reads the inscription inside:

**Kwanghyun Byun’s Book of Family Recipes.**

Chanyeol stares at the book, speechless, his mouth hanging open, as if he was frozen in shock. “Baek…” He looks up at the violinist. “Is this-?”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun bit his lip, determinedly holding eye contact with Chanyeol. “I copied them all myself.” Out of the corner of his eye, he can see his roommates staring at the present in confusion. “It’s a recipe book.” He explains to them, and they respond with a chorus of “ohhhhs”.

“Thank you.” Chanyeol says quietly, pressing the book to his chest like it’s a precious treasure. Baekhyun nods, smiling, the infatuated butterflies in his stomach beating their wings furiously.

“Okayyy, enough with the longing staring, let’s keep it moving here!” Jongdae interrupts them, clapping his hands in their faces. “Your turn, now Baekhyun.” Chanyeol looks away, blushing, and Baekhyun does the same.

Jongdae dumps Baekhyun’s presents on him unceremoniously. He’s obviously anxious to get to his own. “Hey, be careful with those!” Chanyeol slaps Jongdae on the back, pouting. Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at the taller man, but he avoids his eyes, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Much to his roommates’ annoyance, Baekhyun saves Chanyeol’s present for last, opening their’s first. Kyungsoo got him a grow-your-own bonsai tree kit, and Jongdae got him a 100th anniversary edition of  _ War and Peace _ . Baekhyun’s heart feels full; his friends know him so well. He reaches for Chanyeol’s present, wrapped in white paper with little candy canes on it. Baekhyun tears into the paper with shaky hands, mind racing a million miles per hour.

Under all the extra tissue paper the present was wrapped in, was… a cassette player? At least, that’s what Baekhyun thinks it is. There’s a pair of headphones attached to it, and he can see there’s a cassette already inside of it. “What-what is this?” He turns to Chanyeol, eyes wide.

“It’s a Sony walkman.” Chanyeol explains eagerly. “The original MP3 player, I made you a little mixtape to listen to. I-I can show you how to use it later!”

Baekhyun is speechless. Something like this must have been  _ very  _ expensive. He holds it reverently, afraid to break something. “Wow, Yeol. T-Thank you.”

“Damn, Chanyeol.” Jongdae whistles. “I’ve been outplayed in the best present competition.”

“Gift giving isn’t a competition, Dae.” Kyungsoo pinches Jongdae’s thigh. “So just shut up and go get your presents.” Jongdae is quick to comply, shooting up off the couch and bounding to the Christmas tree.

While Jongdae is occupied, Baekhyun sneaks his hand across the couch to squeeze Chanyeol’s, mouthing a  _ thank you _ . The taller squeezes back, smiling at him with shimmering eyes, nodding.

Jongdae makes sure to make his present unboxing as dramatic as possible, but Baekhyun knows the tearing up in his eyes is genuine. He tears up just a little more when he opens Kyungsoo’s present: a necklace with a colorful looking bug encased in amber. He hugs the bald man tight, and Baekhyun doesn’t miss the way he kisses his cheek before he lets go. Jongdae thanks Baekhyun and Chanyeol for their gifts, too; a vintage hat from Jongdae’s favorite baseball team, and a complete encyclopedia on every breed of cat, domestic and wild, respectively. 

“Thank you guys, for a great Christmas.” Kyungsoo says once all the presents are open and the wrapping paper is all thrown away. “You’re all my favorite people in the world, so Merry Christmas. I love you all.”

“Merry Christmas, Soo.” They all echo in agreement. Jongdae whispers a “ _ we love you, too _ ” to him leaning his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. Baekhyun smiles at his friends, and he feels so grateful that he gets to spend this Christmas with them, and that, this year, he’s happy, and content, and  _ so  _ loved. He glances over at Chanyeol. Him in particular, was the biggest curveball this year has thrown at him. Baekhyun never thought he’d carry such a quickly growing flame for the bat-eared man. All these new feelings were frightening, but there was no one Baekhyun trusted more with his heart.

After an hour of eggnog drinking and re-telling old Christmas stories, they decide to retire to their separate rooms for the night. Specifically, Jongdae and Kyungsoo want some alone time to examine the former’s secret gift. That leaves just Baekhyun and Chanyeol together. Alone. 

They sit on the couch together, the tension between them unbearably thick. Baekhyun fiddles with his hands, unsure of what to do. He looks at his present on the coffee table. “Yeol?”

Chanyeol jumps. “Yeah?”

“Do you… wanna stay the night?” Baekhyun asks, quiet, staring down at his hands. “You could show me how to use this.” He picks up the walkman.

“Oh.” Chanyeol’s voice comes out breathy. “Sure, yeah. Let’s do that.”

“Okay, then.” Baekhyun lets out a breath to calm his nerves, gathering up his presents and standing, motioning towards his bedroom with his head. “Come on.”

Chanyeol is quick to follow, scrambling to carry all of his gifts with him to the violinist’s room. 

Baekhyun shuts the door behind them, taking a moment to collect himself, then turns back to Chanyeol, who has settled himself on the very edge of the violinist’s bed, as if he was unsure of himself here. “So… the mixtape?” Baekhyun joins him on the bed, sitting close to him, their thighs brushing together.

“Yeah, so,” Chanyeol takes the walkman from Baekhyun, untangling the headphones wrapped around it, and handing them to him. “So this button starts the tape, this one skips, and this one rewinds.” He demonstrates each button, the violinist watching intently. “Put the headphones on.” 

Baekhyun complies, placing them on his head. They’re a little small for his giant ears, but he doesn’t complain. “Ready.” He says, giving Chanyeol his best smile. Chanyeol returns it, and presses the play button.

The first song on the mixtape was “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede, one of Chanyeol’s favorite songs. Baekhyun grins when he recognizes, bobbing his head along the music. Chanyeol watches him, his eyes soft with something Baekhyun can’t decipher. “Is this just all your favorite songs?” The violinist teases. When Chanyeol doesn’t respond, his heart skips a beat.

“Just wait.” He whispers so softly Baekhyun almost doesn’t hear it.

Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows in confusion, about to say something, when the song ends, and the next one begins.

Oh.

_ Oh. _

Baekhyun’s jaw falls open in shock. The song playing in his ears right now is Yo-yo Ma’s performance of “The Swan” composed by Camille Saint-Saëns. One of Baekhyun’s all time favorite pieces.

“Chanyeol…” His voice comes out strangled, choked up by whatever emotions were rolling around inside of him.

“It’s-It’s all of our favorite songs mixed together.” Chanyeol says, stuttering around his words, fidgeting with the walkman in his hands. “One of mine, one of yours, alternating on the list.”

Baekhyun stares at him, the affection in his heart swelling so big it’s hard to breathe. He lets the piece finish, then presses the stop button on the walkman, removing the headphones with trembling fingers. Spurred on by the music, Baekhyun reaches up to cup Chanyeol’s cheek, his fingers brushing through soft strands of hair, ring finger resting in the shell of his ear. Chanyeol’s breath hitches at the contact, pupils blown wide. “Chanyeol.” The violinist whispers, and the taller man leans forward into the touch, their faces inches apart. Baekhyun licks his lips, and Chanyeol’s eyes dip down to follow the movement, his mouth falling open. Before he can lose this moment of courage, Baekhyun takes the dive, pressing their lips together gently.

Chanyeol sighs, his eyes fluttering closed, kissing him back without hesitation. He slides a hand around Baekhyun’s waist, the other setting the walkman on the violinist’s bedside table. Baekhyun slides his hand into the taller’s hair, alternating between kissing Chanyeol’s upper lip, then his lower lip. Chanyeol’s mouth moves in sync with his, letting Baekhyun take the lead, following his every movement.

Baekhyun winds his free arm up around Chanyeol’s neck, pulling him backwards so that the violinist is laying down on the bed. Chanyeol makes a pleased sound in the back of his throat, breaking the kiss to properly settle between Baekhyun’s thighs, the violinist spreading his legs to accommodate him. “I’ve been waiting for you to do that.” Chanyeol mumbles, pressing butterfly kisses onto each mole on Baekhyun’s face.

Baekhyun sighs, tugging Chanyeol’s face back to his mouth, kissing him slowly, taking his time to learn him. Chanyeol’s lips are just as soft and plump as he’d thought they’d be. It takes him a few moments to reply, speaking in between kisses. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about kissing you.” Chanyeol smiles into the kiss, sliding his palm down Baekhyun’s chest to the hem of his shirt, stopping there in a silent question. “Please.” The violinist breathes, nearly begging Chanyeol to touch him. Chanyeol hums in affirmation, sliding his hand up under his shirt, fingertips dancing along his skin. Baekhyun moans at the contact, arching up into Chanyeol’s touch. 

“So eager.” Chanyeol laughs breathlessly, reconnecting their lips and settling his hand on Baekhyun’s pec.

Baekhyun slides his hands down Chanyeol’s back, about to settle on his ass when the door opens. “Hey, is Chanyeol staying or-.” The violinist yelps, freezing. “Oh. I guess that’s a yes?”

“Jongdae get the  _ hell  _ out!” Baekhyun seethes, his entire face on fire. “ _ Out!” _

“Going! Sorry!” The door shuts abruptly.

They stay still, neither one of them knows what to do now. Chanyeol stares down at Baekhyun, and the violinist stares back up at him, at his dilated pupils, his kiss-swollen lips, and his messed up hair. Chanyeol’s mouth curves into a soft smile. “Hey.” He breathes.

Baekhyun sighs, returning the smile. “Hey, Yeol.” Their bodies are still pressed together, and Chanyeol’s hand is still on his chest. “We should probably go to sleep.”

Chanyeol pouts, removing his hand and settling his weight down, tucking himself into Baekhyun’s side. “That’s no fun.”

“What else is there to do?” Baekhyun snorts, running his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair, causing the taller to sigh in content, his eyes fluttering closed.

“I could think of a few things.” He mumbles into the violinist’s chest.

“I’m sure you could.” Baekhyun tugs at Chanyeol to move him up so their faces are level. “But, I don’t think I could keep quiet enough for that.” He whispers, and he feels Chanyeol shiver in his arms.

“Fine.” Chanyeol kissed Baekhyun chastely. “I can take a raincheck.” He wraps Baekhyun up his arms, pulling him into his chest. “Thank you, by the way. For giving me your dad’s recipes. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to.” Baekhyun says. “You deserve it, Chanyeol, you’re a great cook.” Chanyeol hums into the violinist’s hair. “Thank you, too.” He kisses Chanyeol’s chest.

They fall asleep, tangled together in Baekhyun’s bed. Baekhyun dreams, the familiar deep voice singing in the language he shouldn’t understand, and the picture starts to become clearer.

-

Baekhyun wakes up to Chanyeol’s morning wood pressing against his thigh. Blinking away the sleep, he looks up to see him still fast asleep, his mouth parted, drool collecting on his chin. Somehow, he finds the sight endearing. Remembering last night, Baekhyun’s flushes, and he wonders if Chanyeol is dreaming about him.

The violinist presses a kiss to the corner of Chanyeol's mouth, and he stirs, groaning unintelligibly. “Time to wake up, sleepyhead.” He stamps kisses all over the taller man’s face.

“Mmf whyyy.” Chanyeol tries to hide his face in the pillow, Baekhyun cupping his cheek and pulling him away.

“If you leave before Jongdae gets up we can avoid him questioning us.” Baekhyun yanks the sheet off him. “Merry Christmas, by the way.” He pinches Chanyeol’s nose cheekily, getting out of bed to gather up his presents from last night and put them away properly.

“Oh, God, I have a family gathering at eleven, today.” Chanyeol yawns, sitting up and rubbing his face. He drags himself out of bed. “Walk me to my car?” Baekhyun nods, putting on his shoes and dragging Chanyeol out of the apartment, successfully sneaking past Jongdae and Kyungsoo’s door.

He helps Chanyeol load up his gifts into the passenger seat, securing them with the seatbelt. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at the concert?” Chanyeol scratches the back of his neck.

“Yeah.” Baekhyun says, leaning against the passenger door. “See you then.”

“Alright then.” Chanyeol smiles. “Bye, Baek. Merry Christmas.” Baekhyun pats the window frame, stepping away from the car. Chanyeol pulls out of the driveway, waving to Baekhyun as he drives away.

Baekhyun watches him leave. He sighs, mentally preparing himself for the conversation he’ll have to have with his roommates. He doesn’t regret kissing Chanyeol last night. He doesn’t regret any of it. Instead, he wants more.

Baekhyun has to deal with a thousand “ _ I knew you liked him _ ”s from Jongdae once he wakes up. He admits that he has feelings for Chanyeol, and refuses all other questioning, insisting that he needs to get dressed to go spend Christmas Day with his mother. Kyungsoo is less on the annoying side. He pats Baekhyun’s head affectionately, and says that he’s happy if he’s happy. 

Later, Baekhyun spends Christmas with his mom, exchanging gifts. His mom surprises him with tickets to see  _ Les Miserables  _ in June, and Baekhyun gifts her with a new set of watercolors. They eat a frozen Stouffer’s lasagna dinner, curled up on the living room couch, watching one of his mom’s favorite romantic comedies. 

He doesn’t share what happened between him and Chanyeol, even though they’d sworn to share everything all those years ago. Baekhyun isn’t ready to tell everyone about it, not when he’s not sure what it means yet, or if his hunch about them being soulmates is true or not.

-

It rains on the night of the concert. Baekhyun watches from the window in the warm-up room. “This is so not fair.” He complains to Yixing. “This is the only tux I own, Xing, I can’t afford to ruin it.”

“Not my fault you didn’t bring an umbrella.” Yixing teased, patting his friend’s shoulder comfortingly. “That’s why you always check the weather forecast.”

“It was sunny and eighty degrees yesterday.” Baekhyun scowls, stepping away from the window. “How was I supposed to know it would rain?”

“Your loss, Baekkie.” Yixing slings his arm around the violinist’s shoulders. “You should be warming up, it’s your concertmaster debut, after all.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Baekhyun crosses the room to where his violin was set up, picking up the instrument to start his routine. Yixing leaves him alone to do the same. Hyejin passes by him, shooting him a glare that Baekhyun ignores. He doesn’t have time for her pettiness, tonight is  _ his  _ night.

There’s a sizable crowd in the theater. Baekhyun stands behind the curtains in the wing onstage, the rest of the orchestra walking to their seats. He feels himself swelling with pride as he watches them all sit, knowing that the power to start the concert lies with him alone. Dr. Pierre comes onstage to welcome everyone and thank them for coming, introducing the setlist for the night. He announces Baekhyun’s name, and tells him to come out when he’s ready. Baekhyun takes a moment to ready himself, adjusting the grip on his bow and violin. Then, he takes the stage, bowing to the audience, met with a chorus of applause. 

Baekhyun sets his bow on the strings, playing a tuning note for the orchestra, and they all join him. Once everyone is finished, Baekhyun takes his seat next to Hyejin. Dr. Pierre takes the podium, raising his baton and gesturing for Baekhyun to start the piece. The violinist makes eye contact with the principal clarinet, and cues them in. The concert begins.

Baekhyun loses himself in the music, shutting out everything else, so there is only Baekhyun and his violin. He hopes everyone can see his passion. He hopes they can see that his music saved his life. 

The last note of the piece rings out, and Baekhyun takes a moment to close his eyes and savor the moment. The audience erupts into applause, and him and Hyejin look at each other. She smiles at him, a temporary truce, and Baekhyun smiles back. Maybe, someday, they can repair their friendship. After all, music is always a good place for new beginnings. Baekhyun glances into the audience, and sees his roommates, clapping for him, and he sees Chanyeol with them, and he knows that to be true.

Backstage, everyone in the orchestra is laughing together, taking pictures with each other, the usual after a concert.

“Congratulations, Byun.” Hyejin says to Baekhyun, as they pack up their instruments. “You deserve it.”

Baekhyun looks at her in surprise. “Thank you. I’m sorry-”

“No, shut up.” She holds up a hand to silence him. “Listen,” Hyejin pauses, chewing on her lip as if her words were painful to say out loud. “Wheein misses you.”

Baekhyun stares, his mouth opening and closing as he tries to form the right words to say. “Oh.”

“Yeah. So, I figured since it’s been a year, and since she forgives you for whatever reason-” Baekhyun’s lip twitches in amusement. “-I guess  _ I  _ have to forgive you too. So, sorry. Don’t make me say it again.”

“Thank you. Hyejin.” Baekhyun gives her his best smile, though his eyes are watering a little. “That means a lot.”

“Whatever.” She picks up her case, slinging it over her shoulder. “See you later, loser.”

Baekhyun laughs, waving goodbye to her, and feeling like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. His phone buzzes in his pocket, and he pulls it out.

**From: Yoda**

**where the hell are u**

**this is getting awkward ur mom’s**

**waiting with us why does she know who i am ಠ~ಠ**

Baekhyun shoves his phone back in his pocket, picking up his case and hurrying out to the audience to save Chanyeol from his mother. He spots them all in the front row, Kyungsoo and Jongdae conversing with his mom, Chanyeol standing to the side, holding a bouquet of flowers. “Hey, guys!” Baekhyun calls out to them, and they all turn around to face him.

“There he is!” Kyungsoo grins, him and Jongdae rushing forwards to crush him in a hug.

“Look at you, Mr. Concertmaster.” Jongdae ruffles his hair, planting a loud, wet kiss on his forehead.

Baekhyun’s cheeks hurt from smiling, and he breaks free from the embrace to hug his mom next. “I’m  _ so _ proud of you, Baby.” She squeezes him tightly. “That boy, Chanyeol? He’s very handsome.” She whispers into her son’s ear. 

The violinist laughs, pulling back from the hug. “Yes. Yes he is.”

“Why don’t you go say hi to him, then.” His mom nods her head in the tall man’s direction. 

Baekhyun breaks from the hug, turning to face Chanyeol. The taller man smiles, his dimple greeting him, too. “You brought me flowers.” He gestures to the bouquet in his hands. “You know, flowers can’t survive long after they’re cut, not a very good gift to give.”

Chanyeol rolls his eyes, exasperated. “Yes, I know. That’s why they’re plastic.” He hands Baekhyun the flowers. “Dummy.”

Baekhyun holds the flowers, feeling the sudden urge to kiss him, but he pushes it down, saving it for later. “I’m happy I’ve been able to knock some common sense into you, then.” Chanyeol laughs, musical.

“Ma, this is my friend Chanyeol.” Baekhyun nods to her, then to Chanyeol, on account of his hands being full with the flowers. “Chanyeol, this is my mom.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Chanyeol.” His mom says, looking him up and down, as if sizing him up to see if she could trust him with her son. 

“You too, Ms. Byun.” Chanyeol dips his head politely. Baekhyun feels Jongdae nudging him with his elbow, but the violinist ignores him.

“So, you all up for some Denny’s?” Baekhyun’s mom claps her hands together. “I’m buying.”

Dinner is chaotic, with Jongdae and Kyungsoo conspiring with Baekhyun’s mom to share as many embarrassing stories from their childhood as possible. Baekhyun’s face is bright red the entire meal, matching his hair. Chanyeol is beside himself with laughter, howling and slapping the booth seats with his hands, but, when no one’s looking, he grabs the violinist’s hand under the table, intertwining their fingers. Then, Baekhyun is able to tolerate the endless embarrassment on his behalf.

It’s late when they finally leave the diner, putting an end to the poor employees’ suffering. It’s still pouring rain outside, so they say their goodbyes in the lobby, Jongdae and Kyungsoo running together outside to the car, holding hands all the while. That leaves Baekhyun with his mom, and Chanyeol, the violinist now in a dilemma about who he should leave with. His mom answers that question for him, hugging her son one last time, and winking at him before walking outside to her car.

“So…” Chanyeol shuffles his feet. “You, uhm, do you need a ride?” 

Baekhyun chews on his lip nervously. “Yes. Please.”

“Where to?” Chanyeol asks, a sheepish smile dancing on his face.

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow, a spark of anticipation rushing through him. “I don’t know… where do you want to take me?”

Chanyeol’s breath hitches, and he licks his lips, excited. “How does my apartment sound?”

“Promising.” Baekhyun grins, taking Chanyeol’s arm and pulling him outside. “You better hurry up, I’m not ruining this suit.” Chanyeol takes that challenge, sprinting through the parking lot to his car. Baekhyun feels exhilarated, racing through the rain with a hot, tall, man who wants to take him home. He feels like the young protagonist in a romance novel, and he can’t say he hates it.

“Aren’t you driving recklessly?” Baekhyun startles when Chanyeol makes a risky left turn, gripping onto the car’s handles. “You’re not the Pontiac Bandit, Yeol.”

“Nice reference.” Chanyeol shoots him a quick grin before refocusing his attention on the road. “But I’m a man on a mission.”

They reach Chanyeol’s apartment complex in record time, the tall man making an impressive maneuver into his parking spot. Baekhyun hops out of the car, running towards the stairs to his apartment. He looks behind him and sees Chanyeol walking slower, his hair soaking wet in the rain. “Chanyeol what the hell are you doing?” He yells, impatient.

Chanyeol stops altogether, grinning like a madman. “Isn’t this romantic?” He holds his arms out, letting the rain fall on him.

“No, it’s wet, and you’re going to be all wet when we get inside.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but Chanyeol doesn’t move, looking like he’s waiting for something. “What?” The violinist sighs, exasperated. “Waiting for me to come kiss you in the rain?”

“I thought that was obvious.” The taller puts his hands on his hips stubbornly refusing to move.

“You are  _ so  _ dramatic.” Baekhyun gives in, running back to him through the rain, jumping into Chanyeol’s arms and dragging him down into a kiss. Chanyeol winds his arms around Baekhyun’s waist, pulling him closer and kissing him back feverishly. 

Baekhyun grows impatient, parting Chanyeol’s lips with his tongue, and the taller welcomes it, sucking on it hungrily. He pulls back from the kiss, staring down at Baekhyun with fond eyes. “Thank you for indulging me.”

“Whatever.” Baekhyun grunts, tugging on his collar to pull him backwards. “Can we go inside now?”

“Yes, please,  _ God _ .” Chanyeol breaks away, rushing to the cover of the building, up the stairs and to his front door. Baekhyun keeps himself attached to him as he fumbles with his keys, shoving him inside when he gets the door open, and slamming him up against the wall the way he’d been dreaming of doing. “Baek… mmf.” Chanyeol pants, clutching the shorter man’s waist, kissing him desperately, like his life depends on it. “Bedroom.” He manages to say, and Baekhyun complies, pushing them down the hallway and through the door.

Baekhyun attacks his neck, shutting the door behind them, sucking on his skin. Chanyeol steers them towards the bed in the middle of the room, turning them around and pushing Baekhyun onto it, climbing on top of him. The violinist smirks, watching Chanyeol struggle to remove his bowtie, tugging his suit jacket off his shoulders. “Need a little help there? This is your fault for making out with me in the rain.”

“Please, Baekhyun, you're killing me.” Chanyeol breathes, starting on the buttons of Baekhyun’s dress shirt. Giving up all sense of control, Baekhyun helps him, pushing his hand away and undoing all his buttons with deft fingers. He sits up and Chanyeol helps him pull the shirt off, tossing it onto the floor. 

“Your turn.” Baekhyun slides his hands up Chanyeol’s shirt, feeling his hard, toned muscles underneath. Chanyeol complies, lifting his arms and pulling his shirt off. Baekhyun marvels at the sight in front of him, running his hands over Chanyeol’s torso reverently. “God, look at you.” Baekhyun whispers, pulling them closer to press appreciative kisses all along his chest. Chanyeol’s breathing turns heavy, clutching at Baekhyun’s shoulders when he nips at a spot too close to his nipple.

“Baekhyun.” Chanyeol moans, dropping his head onto Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“How do you want to do this?” Baekhyun murmurs, hands still roaming freely over his skin.

“I could suck you off?” Baekhyun makes a disapproving sound, and Chanyeol laughs. “Or you could suck me off, then.”

Baekhyun hums, pulling back to play with the zipper on Chanyeol’s pants. “I won’t last if you do. It’s been awhile.” He reverses their positions, so that Chanyeol is laying on his back. “Okay?” He asks, hand ghosting over Chanyeol’s crotch.

“Yes. Please.” Chanyeol breathes. Baekhyun nods, undoing his zipper and tugging his pants down, the taller lifting his gangly legs to try and help him get them off. It’s a struggle, especially when Chanyeol is just so damn  _ big _ , but the violinist manages to remove them, tossing them to the side, and returning to his crotch. It’s nice to see that the taller man is already hard in his boxers. Baekhyun places his hand there, his touch light, and starts palming him, teasing. Chanyeol moans at the contact, screwing his eyes shut. “Baek,  _ please  _ hurry up.”

“As you wish.” Baekhyun whispers, pulling at the waistband slowly, inching them down his thighs, letting the taller’s cock spring free. He grins, lowering his head to press kisses to Chanyeol’s smooth, toned thighs, inching his way ever so slowly to the place Chanyeol wants his mouth to be. Baekhyun presses a light kiss to the base of his cock, and he hears Chanyeol let out a quiet “ _ shit _ ”. The violinist mouths at his length, working his way up to the head, and then dips his tongue into his slit, making Chanyeol groan. It’s endearing how hard he’s trying to keep still for Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun glances up at him, grinning wickedly, before taking him in his mouth. “Shit, shit shit.” Chanyeol hisses through gritted teeth. His hand threads through Baekhyun’s hair, scratching his scalp in encouragement. The room is quiet, save for the small soft sounds Chanyeol makes, outside the rain pours hard. “Baek… I’m gonna cum.” Chanyeol pants, tugging the violinist’s hair in warning.

“Do you want me to stop?” Baekhyun releases his cock, licking his lips.

“N-no, I can cum more than once.” Chanyeol breathes shakily, smiling down at the man in between his legs. “Just letting you know.”

“Well, thank you for that.” Baekhyun kisses the inside of his thigh before diving back in. He’s starting to strain against his slacks, so he uses his spare hand to unbutton them and palm himself through his boxers. It doesn’t take long for Chanyeol to cum down Baekhyun’s throat, the violinist taking it all in, swallowing it down. He pulls off Chanyeol’s cock, climbing up to kiss him. “Tell me when you’re ready to keep going.” He murmurs against his lips.

“Just give me a minute.” Chanyeol sighs, his hands sliding down to grab a handful of Baekhyun’s ass through his slacks. “You should take these off while we’re waiting.”

“Do you just want to see me strip?” Baekhyun teases, rubbing their noses together.

“Maybe.” Chanyeol nips at his lower lip playfully. Baekhyun pulls away, getting off the bed to pull his pants down, stumbling around a little trying to pull them off his feet. Chanyeol wheezes softly at the sight. Baekhyun recovers, dipping his fingers into the waistband of his boxers, tugging at it teasingly, enjoying watching Chanyeol’s eyes follow his every movement hungrily. He pulls them down enough for the head of his dick to peak out, raising an eyebrow at Chanyeol. “Keep going.” The taller man nibbles on the tip of his finger, eyes roaming all over Baekhyun’s figure.

“Liking what you see?” Baekhyun grins, pushing his underwear all the way down, kicking them off behind him. He grabs his hard cock, giving it a few tugs.

“Mmm.” Chanyeol hums appreciatively, his hand passively stroking his already hardening cock. “Turn around, I wanna see the whole thing.”

Blushing, Baekhyun spins in a circle, hearing Chanyeol whistle behind him. 

“Can you spread your cheeks a little?” Chanyeol asks sheepishly.

Baekhyun whips around, face burning. “Chanyeol!”

“What?” The taller snickers, his eyes scrunching up. “Fine, I’m kidding. Lube’s in the drawer over there.” He points to the left, at a cabinet set next to his bed. Shaking his head, Baekhyun crosses over to it, pulling it open and shuffling around in search of lube and condoms. Once he finds what he was looking for, he climbs back onto the bed, his heart pounding in anticipation, and hands them to Chanyeol. The taller man stares at him blankly, eyes flickering between Baekhyun and the lube. “What do you want  _ me  _ to do with this?”

Baekhyun stares back, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean?” They stare at each other, seemingly both confused.

Finally, Chanyeol speaks. “I don’t wanna prep  _ myself _ , that’s supposed to be your job.”

Baekhyun blinks. Huh. “Oh.” He stares at Chanyeol for a few more moments. The taller man raises an eyebrow at him. “I-I just assumed that… y’know.”

“That I’d wanna fuck you?” Chanyeol deadpans, and Baekhyun flushes. He’s never been this flustered during sex before. “Is it because I’m taller than you?” He chuckles softly. At least he doesn’t sound offended.

“Honestly? Yeah, I did, but I’m  _ much  _ more comfortable doing it this way.” Baekhyun admits, taking the lube back from Chanyeol.

“Me too.” The taller smiles, his features softening. He cups Baekhyun’s cheek, kissing him softly. “Now get moving, I’ve been waiting to have you inside of me forever.”

“Yes, sir.” Baekhyun laughs into the kiss, pecking his bottom lip one more time before pulling away, moving back down to settle between Chanyeol’s legs. He uncaps the bottle, pouring a generous amount of lube onto his fingers, rubbing them together. Chanyeol parts his thighs, presenting the violinist with a full view of his hole. “You ready?” 

“Yes, Baek.” Chanyeol sighs, running a hand through Baekhyun’s hair.

Baekhyun nods, pushing a finger in slowly, other hand on his hip, rubbing soothing circles there. “So did you enjoy the concert?” He asks casually, moving his finger around inside of him.

“Why are we talking about this right now?’ Chanyeol sighs, chest heaving. 

“Just trying to ease the tension, this part’s pretty uneventful for me.” Baekhyun shrugs. 

Chanyeol laughs over a moan when Baekhyun adds another finger. “I thought it was great.  _ You’re _ really great.” Baekhyun nods in satisfaction, scissoring his fingers a little, making Chanyeol groan. “You look really hot up there, in charge of everyone like that.”

“Thanks.” Baekhyun grins as he crooks his fingers, brushing over Chanyeol’s prostate.

“ _ Fuck _ .” Chanyeol arches up off the bed, panting. Baekhyun massages the spot, reveling in the pleased sounds Chanyeol makes. He adds a third finger, moving them slower so the taller can adjust. “God. Baekhyun,  _ shit _ , I-I wanna ride you.”

Baekhyun’s cock twitches in interest, and he looks up, surprised. “O-okay.” Chanyeol reaches down to remove his fingers, grabbing the violinist’s waist and flipping him over, straddling him. Baekhyun stares up at Chanyeol, wide-eyed.

“Is this okay?” Chanyeol asks, concern in his eyes at Baekhyun’s expression.

“Y-yeah.” Baekhyun breathes, handing Chanyeol the condom.

Chanyeol smiles, pressing a kiss to Baekhyun’s nose before he tears open the package, rolling the condom onto Baekhyun’s cock, the violinist moaning at the feeling of his hand on him, and he can’t wait to be inside of him. “You ready?” Chanyeol asks, rubbing the cleft of his ass against Baekhyun’s length.

“Please. Please, Yeol.” Baekhyun moans. Chanyeol is quick to comply, reaching behind him to guide Baekhyun’s cock inside of him. They moan in sync when Chanyeol sinks down, going slow to make sure the violinist will last. “Oh,  _ fuck _ .” Baekhyun’s toes curl in pleasure.

“I love hearing you curse.” Chanyeol laughs breathily. “It makes me feel like I’m doing something right.” He bottoms out, fully seated on Baekhyun’s pelvis.

“You are.” Baekhyun smiles, breathing heavy, running his hands down Chanyeol’s back. “Fuck, you feel amazing. You can move now.”

Chanyeol kisses him, then starts to move, lifting himself up and slamming back down, making Baekhyun see stars. He watches Chanyeol move through lidded eyes, his breaths coming in stuttered gasps. The taller’s head is thrown back, his eyes closed, moans falling from his mouth each time he moves down. “Chanyeol.” Baekhyun manages to get out, falling back into incoherence for a moment.

“Yeah?” The taller opens his eyes, staring down at him with his pupils blown wide.

“Can you-” Baekhyun sighs. “-get on your stomach?”

“Hell yes.” Chanyeol pulls off, and Baekhyun grabs him to flip him over, crawling on top of him. Baekhyun grabs his ass, spreading his cheeks, and pushing back in. Chanyeol sighs in content, arching back to encourage him to move. Baekhyun leans down, enveloping the taller man like a blanket, burying his face in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck, sucking the skin there. Chanyeol cranes his neck to kiss him, and Baekhyun eagerly indulges him, thrusting experimentally. “Please. Hurry up.” Chanyeol pants, and Baekhyun complies.

The new angle makes everything feel ten times hotter, their skin slapping together with each thrust, and Chanyeol is so  _ tight _ Baekhyun doesn’t think he can last any longer. “Yeol,” He moans into his ear. “I’m almost there.”

“Me too.” Chanyeol breathes, grabbing Baekhyun’s hand to twine their fingers together, holding on tight. Baekhyun’s movements stutter, coming to a stop as he cums. “ _ Fuck _ .” Chanyeol moans, broken, and Baekhyun knows they’ve cum together.

Baekhyun stays there for a moment, trying to catch his breath. Chanyeol rubs the violinist’s hand with his thumb. “You good back there?” He asks, his voice coming out shaky.

“I think so.” Baekhyun sighs, nuzzling further into Chanyeol’s neck. “I feel sticky.”

Chanyeol laughs. “That would be because you're laying on top of me, and the heater’s on. Plus you’re still inside of me.”

“Oh, sorry.” Baekhyun scrambles to pull out, getting up to dispose of the condom. He snorts when he comes back. “You still have your socks on.”

“My feet were cold.” Chanyeol says defensively, turning over onto his back to look at Baekhyun. “We should probably shower, I’m all sticky.”

“Well, there is cum all over your stomach.” Baekhyun teases, crossing over to pull Chanyeol’s socks off for him. Chanyeol watches him, his eyes soft with something that looks like affection. A part of Baekhyun desperately hopes it is.

In the shower, Chanyeol makes sure to take care of Baekhyun, helping him scrub his back, and shampooing his hair. The feeling of Chanyeol’s hands all over him, in a way that is more intimate and soft than sexual, makes Baekhyun feel all warm inside, like he’s melting. He tries to return the favor, but Chanyeol doesn’t let him, insisting on doing all the work.

Chanyeol lets him borrow one of his oversized shirts, fitting like a dress on the violinist. They lay together in bed, Baekhyun tucked into Chanyeol’s chest. They aren’t asleep yet, Chanyeol too busy staring at Baekhyun, and the smaller doing the same, tracing little constellations with his fingers into the skin on Chanyeol’s chest. In the middle of the comfortable silence between them, Baekhyun takes the time to process everything that just happened between them.

Baekhyun felt...strange. His heart had been pounding so hard in his chest earlier, he thought he would pass out. It was all so  _ overwhelming _ . Having sex with Chanyeol had only magnified Baekhyun’s affection for him, blooming in his chest and making him feel dizzy. It’s terrifying. He’s never expected  _ any  _ of this. If he hadn’t been awake that night back in September, and hadn’t left his room, he probably never would have met Chanyeol. The thought of not knowing Chanyeol scares Baekhyun just as much as being  _ here  _ right now does. The prospect of them being soulmates is there too, looming over them like a shadow even now, when all they’re doing is enjoying each other’s presence. Baekhyun thinks back to all the times he’s had that dream, and they all correlate with  _ something  _ happening between him and Chanyeol: when they first met, when Baekhyun realized he liked him, and after their first kiss. He feels stupid for not noticing it before, now all he needs is confirmation from Chanyeol that he knows it, too.

-

When Baekhyun wakes up, the bed is empty. He sits up, rubbing his eyes and looking around. Chanyeol’s clothes are gone from the floor too, but so are his, and he spots them folded up neatly on the dresser. Just like he thought, he had the same dream last night. Fantastic. 

Baekhyun crawls out of bed, stretching his taught limbs, padding out into the hallway, beckoned by the smell of waffles and chicken cooking. Chanyeol is cooking shirtless, and Baekhyun blushes when he sees the marks he left on his neck and shoulder. “Good morning.” He says, his voice coming out raspy.

Chanyeol turns around, smiling when he sees the violinist standing there. “Morning, Baek. Food’s almost ready.”

Baekhyun nods, taking a seat at the dining table, placing his head between his hands. Chanyeol places their plates down, sitting across from him. Baekhyun notices the way he lowers himself into the chair gingerly, wincing. It makes Baekhyun blush harder. “Dig in.” Chanyeol says, nudging the violinist’s elbow. He eats in silence, bouncing his leg underneath the table. Baekhyun avoids making eye contact with Chanyeol, though he can see him glancing at him occasionally, his big eyes filled with concern. They finish eating, but Chanyeol makes no moves to get up. “Baekhyun…” He says, softly.

“What?” Baekhyun snaps, immediately regretting it. “Sorry.”

Chanyeol purses his lips. “What’s wrong? If we went too far, it’s okay, it doesn’t have to mean-.”

“Chanyeol, are we soulmates?” Baekhyun interrupts, looking up to stare him down.

Chanyeol’s eyes widen, and he stares, blinking. Baekhyun holds his gaze, steady in his resolve, despite the rage of emotions storming inside of him. “I-...” Chanyeol tries, but stops, closing his mouth. “What do you think, Baek?”

And that’s all the confirmation Baekhyun needs. He drops his head back in his hands, rubbing his eyes. He knew this was coming, but it doesn’t stop the panic from taking over his brain. “Oh God.” He tries to breathe, but he can’t.

“Baekhyun-” Chanyeol tries, reaching out to comfort him, but the violinist pushes back, shoving his hand away. Chanyeol’s expression twists in pain, like he’d been stung, and in a sense, he had.

“No! No, don’t touch me.” Baekhyun stands up, grasping at his hair, starting to pace. “Fuck, Chanyeol, how long have you known?”

“Just a few days. Since Christmas Eve.” Chanyeol’s voice is weak, watching Baekhyun. “Baek, it’s okay-”

“Fucking hell, Chanyeol, obviously it’s not!” Baekhyun explodes, tears falling freely now. “It’s not okay, this-this soulmate  _ bullshit  _ has ruined my fucking life.” He can’t stop his voice from rising, to the point of screaming. “I don’t want any part of it.”

There’s a silence, a silence that tears Baekhyun’s heart in two. “Okay.” Chanyeol’s voice cracks, and the violinist can see how hard he’s trying to hold it together. “Okay, Baek. I get it.” He drops his head into his hands, his shoulders shaking. “I get it.” Chanyeol repeats, warbled.

Baekhyun stares for a few seconds, then turns on his heels and leaves, slamming the door behind him. Once he’s outside he lets the tears flow freely, his whole body racked with sobs. People stare at him on the metro, but he ignores it. His brain loops on an endless cycle of  _ Chanyeol is my soulmate _ , to  _ fuck I can’t do this to him _ , and twists to an image from his childhood, of a little boy, only five years old, looking for his dad to ask him to play.

The door opens and Baekhyun rushes to the apartment, slamming the door open, startling his roommates sitting on the couch together. “Baek what-?” The violinist ignores them, shutting himself into his room. He burrows into his bed, covering his head with his pillow, willing the memories to go away.

“Please.” He cries out, screwing his eyes shut, but the image sticks in his brain, haunting him. 

“ _ Daddy?” _

“Stop it!” Baekhyun sobs, covering his ears with his hands. “Please.” He begs, but the memories don’t stop coming, hitting him like a tidal wave.

“Baekhyun!” Distant voices call, and his door is thrown open. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and he rolls away from it, curling into himself tighter. “Baekhyun, you’re safe, we’re here, you’re here with us, Jongdae and Kyungsoo.” He hears, the sound of his roommates’ names breaking through to him. He stills, letting them touch him, comforting. They slide into bed with him, and the pillow over his head is gently peeled away from him. Baekhyun whimpers, reaching out for  _ something  _ to hold onto. He’s pulled into someone’s chest, and he lets it happen, though he can’t see who it is, his vision is still temporarily impaired.

“We’ve got you.” Another voice sounds from behind him, hands curling in around his stomach, and Baekhyun finds himself sandwiched between his two roommates. His chest heaves with remnants of his sobs, and the visions of his memories slowly ebb away, giving away to the darkness, and he lets it take him. 

-

Baekhyun wakes up sometime in the evening, his head pounding. When he opens his eyes, he sees Kyungsoo in front of him, still holding him. “You’re awake.” Kyungsoo whispers, as if he was afraid to speak any louder. Baekhyun doesn’t say anything, staring ahead listlessly. Behind him, Jongdae stirs too.

“Hey, Baek.” Jongdae leans over him, brushing his hair behind his ears. “How are you feeling?”

Kyungsoo sends Jongdae a threatening look, warning him not to push it. “Terrible.” Baekhyun whispers, surprising both of them. The memories of Chanyeol’s apartment that morning come back, and he feels himself tearing up again. “I-.” He tries to say, but he’s cut off by a sob. His roommates pull him closer in response, whispering reassurances. Once Baekhyun calms down, he’s able to speak. “Chanyeol...he’s my-my soulmate.”

His roommates are silent, and Kyungsoo sighs. “When did you find out?”

“I had a hunch.” Baekhyun murmurs into Kyungsoo’s shirt. “Then I dreamed again last night, after we…after we had sex. He confirmed it this morning and I just-.” Another sob wells up in his throat. Jongdae rubs his back soothingly. “I don’t know if I can do this.” He whispers.

“You don’t have to  _ do  _ anything.” Kyungsoo says, thumbing the tears from Baekhyun’s cheeks. “Does...does Chanyeol know about your…” He trails off, not knowing the best way to form the question.

“No. He doesn’t know I have PTSD.” Baekhyun sniffs, sighing. Another silence falls over them, the only sounds coming from the violinist’s sobs.

“Baek.” Jongdae starts, scooting up on the bed so he can see Baekhyun’s face better. “Listen. You have a chance here, a chance to change things.” Baekhyun frowns, turning in Kyungsoo’s embrace to face Jongdae. “What happened to you was terrible, but,  _ Baek  _ that was seventeen years ago.”

“Jongdae.” Baekhyun stares at his friend, not seeing the point.

“No, listen.” Jongdae places his hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “You have a chance to turn the way you see soulmates around completely, it doesn’t  _ have  _ to be an f word to you. I’m not trying to force you to be with him  _ romantically _ , but please, don’t push him away because you’re scared.”

“I don’t know if I can.” Baekhyun whispers. “I don’t know  _ how _ .”

“That’s what we’re here for.” Kyungsoo chimes in. “We’ll catch you when you fall, be here to smother you with our love. Love that you  _ deserve _ .” 

“It’s going to be an uphill battle.” Jongdae continues, tightening his grip on Baekhyun. “But you don’t have to do this alone, Baek. You are so,  _ so,  _ loved, and we won’t  _ ever  _ leave you behind.”

Baekhyun is quiet, processing everything his roommates had said. “Did you guys rehearse that while I was asleep?” He mutters, and they laugh, relieved that he’s at least making jokes.

“Something like that.” Kyungsoo says, sending a fond look towards Jongdae over Baekhyun.

“What was that look?” Baekhyun glances between them. Since they’re in the whole ‘sharing feelings’ mode, he decides to go for it. “Are you guys together yet?”

“Don’t change the subject!” Jongdae snaps, but his face is bright red, his gaze flickering between him and Kyungsoo.”

“Yes, we are.” Kyungsoo ignores Jongdae, sighing happily. Baekhyun smiles at his roommates, reaching out to wrap his arms around both of them, pulling them into a crushing hug.

“Thank the heavens.” He sighs, ignoring Jongdae’s protests. “I’ve been waiting for that our whole damn lives.”

“Jongdae finally asked me out before the concert yesterday.” Kyungsoo says, chuckling. He reaches over Baekhyun to lace his fingers with Jongdae’s. “And I said yes, of course.”

“It’s not that big of a deal.” Jongdae mutters, embarrassed. “We were basically already dating, anyways.”

“I’m happy for you guys.” Baekhyun says sincerely, squeezing his friends one more time. “Really, I am.”

“We know, Baekkie.” Kyungsoo runs a gentle hand through the violinist’s hair. “Are you getting hungry? I’ll make dinner.”

Baekhyun agrees, letting his roommates drag him out of bed. He passes by the mirror, and sees he’s still wearing Chanyeol’s shirt, and a twinge of pain tugs at his heart. He shakes it off, following his roommates to the kitchen.

-

Baekhyun steps into the new year feeling empty. He has his audition to keep him busy, and his roommates to get him through the times where he feels like he’ll break down again. Work turns into a painful affair. Chanyeol changes his shift, and is replaced by Jongin, who tries his best to keep Baekhyun in good spirits, never getting discouraged, no matter how many times Baekhyun brushes him off.

Chanyeol doesn’t text him, and it hurts, it hurts worse than anything Baekhyun’s had to deal with. But he doesn’t text him, either. Baekhyun attributes the pain to them being soulmates. He’s heard about the effects of being away from your soulmate, seen them happen firsthand at a young age.

The Bartok piece comes to life, flourishing under the care of Baekhyun’s skillful fingers. The closer the date of his audition arrives, the more anxious he becomes, and the less he sees of his roommates, burying himself in his music.

In the quiet moments at night, Baekhyun can’t sleep. He hasn’t been able to sleep in weeks. The only way he can get any rest anymore is when he turns on his walkman, and plays the tape Chanyeol made for him. Being honest with himself is the hardest thing for Baekhyun to do, and he could deny it for the rest of life, but any fool could see how much he missed Chanyeol.

The big date comes despite Baekhyun’s best attempts to slow down time. Jongdae drives him to LA, giving him his best pep talk while having no real knowledge how playing the violin works. All the same, Baekhyun appreciates the gesture.

Jongdae sits in the hallway with Baekhyun while he waits for his audition. He refuses to practice any more today, in case he accidentally introduces a new trip into his interpretation of the piece. “Look at all these old bags.” Jongdae whispers to his friend, eyes following all the other auditioners waiting with them.

“I’m probably the youngest person here.” Baekhyun whispers back, glancing up at an ancient looking woman passing by them on her way to the audition room. “Maybe I shouldn’t be here, I think Dr. Pierre made a mistake.”

“Shh!” Jongdae clamps a hand over Baekhyun’s mouth, eyes wide. “Don’t jinx it you dumbass!” A middle aged man on the bench across from them gives the two a weird look. “You’re a prodigy, babes. Everyone knows that, so you’re gonna go into that room, and send all these old hags straight back to their nursing homes, got it?” 

Baekhyun pries Jongdae’s hand from his face. “Okay, okay. I got it. I can do this. Now  _ please  _ keep your voice down, people are trying to concentrate.” He sends an apologetic look to the man across from them.

“It’s not like they can hear you, anyways.” Jogndae frowns, and Baekhyun swats him on the back.

A sitting attendant comes out from the audition room, calling Baekhyun’s name, butchering it a little. The violinist grimaces, picking up his instrument and music binder. “Wait, Baek.” Jongdae stops him with a hand on his shoulder. “Chanyeol told me to tell you...Good luck, and kick ass.”

Baekhyun’s breath hitches. Unexpectedly, the message fills him with warmth. It’s so comforting, soothing his nerves and calming his racing heart. “Thank you for telling me.” He whispers, squeezing Jongdae’s hand on his shoulder.

Jongdae nods, letting the violinist go. “You got this!” Jongdae whisper-shouts after Baekhyun. The violinist gives him one last thumbs up before disappearing into the audition room.

The room was a miniature of an auditorium, wood panels hanging from the ceiling, the walls on each side of the stage made of the same material. In the center of the stage, there’s a music stand waiting for him. Baekhyun approaches it with his best semblance of confidence, setting down his binder and flipping it open to the Bartok piece. “Good afternoon, Mr. Byun.” One of the judges greets from down in the audience. “What piece have you selected today?”

“Bartok  _ Violin Concerto No. 2 _ .” Baekhyun responds, voice clear of all nerves. 

“When you’re ready.” Another voice calls out.

Baekhyun takes a moment, closing his eyes and visualizing the piece, all of its runs, its dynamics, and all the extra flair the violinist had added. He could do this, he’d been practicing for this for months-no, his whole  _ life _ . He opens his eyes, takes a deep breath, setting his bow on the strings, and plays.

The piece flows from him as naturally as if it were a part of him, an invisible limb reaching out, stretching itself out of dormancy. Baekhyun moves along with it, dipping into the piece’s accelerations and denouements. Baekhyun’s  _ Violin Concerto No. 2 _ was fiery, passionate, a culmination of everything he’d been working for his whole life. He forgets about the judges, about Chanyeol, and about his dad in that moment, because that’s what music is for him, his saving grace, transporting him to another world where he is free to showcase all of his vulnerability for all the world to see.

The piece finishes, ringing out through the auditorium, and Baekhyun takes a moment to close his eyes and savor it. That was the best audition he’d ever had, and it leaves him drained, like he could sleep for weeks.

“Thank you, Mr. Byun, we will be in contact.” One of the judge’s voices snaps him out of his reverie. 

“Thank you.” Baekhyun bows, gathering up his music and exiting the auditorium. 

Jongdae is in the same spot he was earlier, watching the door anxiously. His face lights up when he sees Baekhyun come out. He rushes over to him, grabbing onto his arms. “Are you finished? How’d it go? That was a  _ lot  _ longer than I expected it to be, I almost fell asleep-.”

“It was great, Jongdae.” Baekhyun’s smile breaks across his face uncontrolled.

Unexpectedly, Jongdae chokes up a little, his eyes watering. “It’s great to see you smile, Baekkie.”

Baekhyun nods, understanding. “Yeah, it feels great to smile, too. Let’s go to Shake Shack. I’m  _ starving _ .”

-

Baekhyun waits for the call anxiously. Everytime his phone so much as vibrates he jumps out of his own skin, scrambling to answer it as quickly as he can. He starts to get irritated with his roommates whenever they call him, the violinist yelling at the phone that they could be wasting his time, and what if the LA Phil calls at the same time they do?

He’s even worse at work, poor Jongin bearing all the brunt of his anxiety. He handles it with grace, distracting Baekhyun with jokes and showing him videos of cute baby animals.

He runs into Chanyeol in the locker room one day, and wishes he could somehow turn back around and leave without being obvious. Chanyeol glances at him, his face immediately falling, and Baekhyun knows it’s too late to make an escape.

Baekhyun walks to his locker, his movements stiff, nearly jumping out of his skin when he brushes by Chanyeol.

“How’d your audition go?” Chanyeol’s deep voice startles him. It sounds strained, like he  _ really  _ doesn’t want to say anything.

Baekhyun’s heart jumps. He hates how much he’s missed the sound of his soulmate’s voice in the past month he’d spent without it. “Great. I-It was great.”

“Good.” Chanyeol says, shutting his locker and leaving the room. Baekhyun watches him go, his chest aching. He feels like there’s a huge, gaping hole there where Chanyeol  _ used  _ to be. In a sense, he’s still there. Admittedly, he never left.

Another week goes by, another week filled with the agony of  _ waiting _ . Baekhyun wears out that cassette tape; it’s the only thing keeping him sane. Jongdae and Kyungsoo are feeling the tension, too. Everytime a phone rings in the apartment, they all jump in sync, scrambling to find out whose it is.

The call comes when Baekhyun leasts expects it, vibrating on the sink counter while he’s brushing his teeth. When he sees the caller ID, he accidentally deepthroats his toothbrush, choking and struggling to wipe his mouth and pick up the phone at the same time.

He clears his throat before answering. “Hello?”

“ _ Hello is this Mr. Baekhyun Byun? _ ”

“Yes it is.” Baekhyun gulps, locking the bathroom door to make sure he isn’t disturbed. 

“ _ Yes this is Camila Santiago from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, I sat in for your audition for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. I want to start off by complimenting your ability at such a young age. It’s very rare we get someone like you come in who can compare to our older contestants.”  _ She pauses, and a feeling of dread settles into Baekhyun’s gut. He reaches out to hold onto the doorframe to steady himself. “ _ Unfortunately, the judge panel decided not to offer you a position with the Phil at this time. _ ”

Baekhyun closes his eyes, letting out a shaky breath. His head is spinning. He slides down the wall onto the floor, supporting his heavy head on the door. “I-I see. Thank you for your time.”

“ _ However _ ,” Miss Santiago interrupts him. “ _ I think your interpretation of Bartok is unique, and something that I am interested in as a delegate from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and I would like to offer you a place with us, instead. _ ”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen with each word she says, his mouth dropping open in shock. He doesn’t even know what to say. San Francisco’s symphony is  _ fantastic _ . He definitely was  _ not  _ expecting this. “I-I don’t know what to say, Miss. Santiago.” He stutters into the phone.

“ _ Then say yes _ .” Baekhyun can hear the amusement in her tone. “ _ I can offer you an all expenses paid visit up here to play your piece for the board as a courtesy, but I assure you you have a guaranteed place here with us. _ ”

“I-I.” Baekhyun is bursting with excitement, the words coming out too fast for him to keep up with. “Thank you, so much. I-I... yes. Yes I accept. I will come up and I-I’ll do it.” He feels himself speaking faster and faster, his voice raising, but he can’t bring himself to control it. “Thank you, thank you  _ so much _ .”

“ _ You’re very welcome, Mr. Byun _ .” She leaves him her contact information to set up a date for him to fly up, and Baekhyun thanks her a few more times, before hanging up. 

Baekhyun closes his eyes, committing this moment to his memory, so he could hold onto it forever. Grinning, he breaks down the bathroom door, running into the living room to break the news to his roommates.

“So, wait, you didn’t get in, but you got in somewhere else?” Kyungsoo asks once Baekhyun calms down enough to be coherent. 

“Yup, I guess I’m just hot shit.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Everyone wants me.”

“Oh calm down.” Jongdae grins, but he pulls Baekhyun closer anyways. 

“I blew doors on those old men.” Baekhyun laughs, his cheeks hurting from how much he was smiling. “I can’t wait to tell-.” He stops, the smile falling from his face. Jongdae and Kyungsoo look at him, quizzically. “I-I…” He stumbles over his words. He doesn’t have to finish the sentence, his two roommates catching on. Chanyeol. Baekhyun wants to tell Chanyeol. More than anyone else he knows, right now. “Oh, God, guys I have to go, I’m sorry, we can do something later, to celebrate?”

“Go.” Kyungsoo says, his smile comforting, and understanding. “We’ll still be here.”

Baekhyun nods, gratefully, grabbing his phone and keys, rushing out the door. He whips out his phone, shooting Chanyeol a quick text.

**I’m coming over. I need to talk to you.**

Chanyeol responds instantly, like he’d been waiting for Baekhyun to message him.

**ok**

The singular response pulls at Baekhyun’s heartstrings, but he pushes on, running like his life depended on it to catch the metro before it leaves. His heart beats rapidly in his chest, desperate to find its partner again.

Baekhyun exited the metro before the doors were fully open, willing his stubby legs to keep pushing towards Chanyeol’s apartment. The violinist bounds up the stairs, pounding on his soulmate’s door.

Chanyeol opens it immediately, like he was waiting for him behind it. Baekhyun’s heart catches in his throat when he sees him. He looks  _ awful,  _ for lack of a better word. His eyes are bloodshot, and his hair is all over the place somehow, despite its short length. “Hi.” Chanyeol says, quietly, his eyes swimming with too many emotions for Baekhyun to catch all at once.

“H-hi. Hi, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun breathes, all the affection he’d been suppressing for weeks bubbling up towards the surface. “I wanted to see you, to talk to you.” Chanyeol grimaces, and Baekhyun hurries to clarify. “You don’t have to listen, I-I can leave if you want…” He bites his lip, averting his eyes.

“No. I don’t want you to leave.” Chanyeol’s voice is so quiet Baekhyun almost doesn’t hear him. “You can come in.” He steps aside, allowing the violinist to enter the apartment. He gestures for Baekhyun to sit at his couch. 

Baekhyun complies, sitting down carefully, afraid to break the fragile tension between them. Chanyeol sits on the other side, then looks over at Baekhyun, waiting for him to speak. “I-I didn’t make the LA Phil, I just got the call fifteen minutes ago, but-but I was offered a place in San Francisco’s symphony.”

“Well congratulations.” Chanyeol says, but it’s dry, lacking any real feeling behind it. Baekhyun’s heart cracks a little.

“That’s not why I’m here, though.” Baekhyun stares down at his hands, picking around at his fingernails anxiously. “When I found out… the first person I thought of to tell… was you.” He goes quiet, and he hears Chanyeol let out a long sigh.

“Why?” Is all he says, his voice weak. 

Baekhyun gulps, turning to face Chanyeol. The butterflies in his stomach rage on. “Because I care about you. And I owe it to you to...to share what happened to me.”

All traces of anger melt away from Chanyeol’s face. He reaches over to hold Baekhyun’s hand. “Baek, you don’t have to, really. I understand why you pushed me away.” The waver in voice says otherwise.

“No, I want to.” Baekhyun says firmly, gripping onto Chanyeol’s hand like a lifeline. Chanyeol nods, lacing their fingers together, holding on tight. “I’ve mentioned my dad before to you. How he died when I was five.” Chanyeol nods, his thumb caressing Baekhyun’s knuckles soothingly. “And… and that my mom and I were in therapy for a few years.” Baekhyun inhales deeply, trying to calm himself. “Chanyeol, I-I have PTSD, I was diagnosed when I was little. It’s why I freaked out when I found out we were soulmates.”

“What happened, Baek?” Chanyeol asks, softly.

Baekhyun looks at him, clutching onto his hand tightly, he moves closer to him. “My parents weren’t soulmates.” Chanyeol takes his other hand too. “They were together for almost twenty years before I was born. High school sweethearts and everything. When I was around five, my dad got a new co-worker. He started acting strange, like he had no energy anymore. My mom would always encourage me to play with him to keep him occupied I guess… One day, I went to go find him to play and I…” Baekhyun trails off, his voice wavering as the memory comes back. He tries to speak again, but he chokes on a sob.

“Baek…” Chanyeol brings him closer, and Baekhyn lets him, falling into his arms easily. It’s comforting. Physical comfort always helps ground him when it gets to be too much. “I’m here.” Chanyeol whispers, rubbing the violinist’s back.

“I was the one who found him dead.” Baekhyun balls his fists on Chanyeol’s shirt. “He-he killed himself. He did it because he found his soulmate. And- and he couldn’t stand the way he was being pulled to her-away from my mom.” The end of his sentence comes out garbled, but he knows Chanyeol understood, because he pulls him in tighter whispering to him in soothing tones.

“ _ God _ , Baekhyun...” Chanyeol’s voice cracks, thick with emotion. They lie there, Baekhyun letting his sobs come freely, letting it all out there in the open. “I-I’m so sorry. I…” 

“It’s okay, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun murmurs. “This...this is all really  _ fucking  _ hard for me. You deserve a better soulmate-”

“No, no, no don’t say that.” Chanyeol takes his face in his hands. “Baekhyun, all that’s happened to you- that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be loved.” He chokes out. When Baekhyun meets his eyes he sees it: the unbridled affection he’d never been able to pick up on before.

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun breathes, his heart pounding against his ribs, longing to break out, to reach out for Chanyeol’s own. “Chanyeol, I-I can’t offer you anything definite. Not right now, at least. I need more time.”

“I know.” Chanyeol says. And he does. Baekhyun knows he does. Because they are soulmates. There was nothing about the violinist that Chanyeol couldn’t understand. With him, Baekhyun’s soul was made bare; but, it wasn’t alone, Chanyeol bared his everything for him, too. “I know you do. I’m not going anywhere.”

Baekhyun feels a smile twitch on his lips, despite everything. “I know you’re not. But, Chanyeol, I’m scared. I’m  _ so  _ scared. Of commitment, of what this-this  _ connection  _ between us means.”

“Well…” Chanyeol wipes his tears away with his thumbs, his touch gentle. “You have time. You’re going up to San Francisco soon. We can revisit this conversation when you get back. Okay?”

Baekhyun gulps, feeling himself nod. “Yeah. Okay.”

Chanyeol smiles, moving his hands down to his back, pulling him close. They stay there for who knows how long, Baekhyun doesn’t want to count the hours, holding each other. There’s no need for words, everything has already been said.

-

“San Francisco is beautiful.” Ms. Byun whistles, taking in the rolling hills around them. “I know this is your decision, but I say you take this offer and get up here as soon as you graduate.”

“What, you won’t miss me?” Baekhyun jokes. Silently, he agrees. San Francisco  _ is  _ much better on the eyes than Los Angeles. Last week, after leaving Chanyeol’s apartment, he called Miss. Santiago, and arranged his flight up here, making sure his mom was included, too.

“Pshh. You’ll still be in the same state.” His mom waves him off flippantly. “You’re a big boy, you don’t need me.”

“Don’t say it like that.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes, smiling. He joins her by the hotel room’s window, staring down at the city. “I’d miss you.”

“That’s sweet of you, but I’m not gonna pay your rent for you.” She teases, pinching her son’s elbow. They laugh, then fall into silence, watching the cars down on the street roll by. “You sure there isn’t anyone else you’d miss?” She sends him a pointed look.

Baekhyun sighs, moving away from the window. “Come on, Ma, let’s go get some coffee before I have to go to the symphony.”

There’s a Peet’s Coffee near Davies Symphony Hall. There’s also plenty of Starbucks nearby, but since they were in San Francisco, Baekhyun thought they could try it. They drink in silence, Baekhyun pondering all the ‘pros’ of moving to San Francisco, and whether they outweighed all his favorite things about Southern California.

“I know you don’t want to talk about Chanyeol.” His mom chimes in, fiddling with the sleeve on her coffee cup. “But I do, because you’re my son, and I love you.”

“I know.” Baekhyun says quietly, looking down at his cup. “Ma, he’s my soulmate.” He looks back up at her.

She nods, but she doesn’t look surprised. “I guessed as much. I know you, you’ve never acted like this about anyone, not even Wheein.” She reaches across the table to hold her son’s hand. “So what’s holding you back?”

Baekhyun looks at her in surprise. “Seriously? Ma, what else could it be?”

She bites her lip, but remains steady in her composure. “Baekhyunee, you don’t have to live your life like this because of what happened to your father.”

“But, Ma-,”

“Honey, I’m fine now.” She shushes him. “That’s how grief works, Baby. It’s been seventeen years, and, yes I miss him. I loved him. But I don’t have any regrets.”

“Ma, what about  _ you _ ?” Baekhyun asks. “Would you still have loved dad if you’d had a soulmate?”

“Baekhyun, there’s some things I’ll never know if they didn’t happen.” She smiles, her eyes sad. Baekhyun’s mom was unique: she wasn’t born with a soulmate. Her soul was born to be unpaired, forever. “To me, your father  _ was  _ my soulmate, it didn’t matter if it was official or not. He married me knowing we weren’t soulmates, he knew what he was getting himself into.”

Baekhyun nods, pressing his lips together in a thin line. “So, he chose to be with you...I-I can make a choice.”

“Yes. Yes you can.”

“Then I will. I’ll make a choice.” They sit in a comfortable silence, and Baekhyun considers all his options. In the end, he knows, deep down, that his heart will always win. Baekhyun looks up, his decision made. His mom nods at him, squeezing his hand. “Now, though…” A wry grin creeps across his face. “Now I have to go make Davies Symphony Hall my bitch.”

“That’s my boy.”

-

Miss. Santiago gives Baekhyun and his mom a tour of the Symphony Hall. She sits patiently while Ms. Byun insists on taking pictures of Baekhyun in every room, getting every angle possible inside the hall. She even lets her stay while Baekhyun plays the Bartok piece for the judge panel. After it’s all over, he shakes hands with the board of directors, and they congratulate him on his acceptance into the symphony. Baekhyun is  _ elated _ . All those years of practice, of not paying attention to the world around him, diligently practicing his music to distract him from his grief, has paid off. He’s done ignoring it though. Baekhyun  _ wants  _ to see the world around him, to appreciate its beauty and everything it has to offer. He looks over at his mom, and she looks back at him with so much pride and  _ love _ in her eyes, and he knows she’s ready too.

Baekhyun and his mom stay in San Francisco for the rest of the week, taking some time off to be together and enjoy all the sights to see in the city. They walk together through Redwood forest, along the Golden Gate Bridge, and stroll through Golden Gate Park. It’s really beautiful up here, plus it isn’t  _ unbearably  _ hot for the beginning of February.

On the plane home, they watch  _ Pride and Prejudice  _ on his mom’s iPad, Baekhyun’s head on her shoulder the whole way home.

-

It’s Valentine’s Day, and the whole group is gathered together at Baekhyun’s mom’s house. Well, not all of them.

“I can’t believe you’re really abandoning southern California for  _ San Francisco _ .” Sehun sniffs, pouting into his champagne glass. “It  _ snows  _ there, Baekhyun.  _ Snow _ !”

Baekhyun laughs, rolling his eyes at him. He’s wedged on the couch between Jongdae and Kyungsoo, Jongin and Sehun to the left, and Junmyeon and Yixing to the right. His mom sits at an armchair across from Baekhyun, watching her son’s friends with mirth in her eyes. “I can visit during my off seasons if you’ll miss me that much.”

“I won’t.” Sehun turns his nose up at him. Jongin rubs his thigh comfortingly.

“What the hell are we going to do with your bedroom?” Jongdae whines. “It’s not like we’re going to need it anymore.”

“Rent it out, make some money.” Baekhyun shrugs.

“What he means is we’ll miss you.” Kyungsoo says, leaning his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “And we’ll feel the physical absence of your presence.”

“Okay, Mr. Psychology Major.” Jongdae bites back sarcastically. Everyone in the room looks at him, and he folds his arms, grumbling. “Yeah, fine. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Jongdae.” Baekhyun smiles, nudging his best friend’s side. “What’s up with you guys, getting all sappy, it’s not like I’m leaving the country or anything.”

“Because we love you, dummy.” Junmyeon raises his champagne glass. His eyes are sparkling.

Baekhyun opens his mouth to return the sentiment, but he’s cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

“Nose goes.” Jongdae called, and everyone rushed to touch their nose, leaving Baekhyun in the dust.

“What? Guys, that’s not fair, I don’t even know what that means.” He pouts, setting his glass down. “I thought everyone was here already…” Baekhyun mumbles. He misses the knowing look Jongdae and Kyungsoo give each other.

Baekhyun opens the door, and nearly faints.

Chanyeol is standing there, holding a stuffed teddy bear holding a plush heart. His eyes widen when he sees Baekhyun. “Hi!” He blurts out.

Baekhyun blinks, staring at the man in front of him. “You have glasses now.” Is all he manages to say.

“Yeah, apparently my vision is pretty ass.” He says sheepishly, using his free hand to scratch the back of his head. “Do you...like them?”

“Oh, yes, they look very nice.” Baekhyun’s lips twitch in amusement. They do make him look very handsome, the small wired frames sitting perfectly on his adorable button nose. “Uhm, you wanna come inside?”

“Please. That’s why I’m here.” Chanyeol gives him his best smile, and Baekhyun melts at the sight of his dimple. He steps aside, letting the taller man inside, removing his shoes and placing them next to everyone else's. “This is for you, by the way.” Chanyeol hands the bear to Baekhyun, his face flushed red.

“Oh.” Baekhyun takes it, looking at the message on the bear’s heart. It says ‘I Wuv u’, printed in comic sans. “Thanks?”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Baek.” Chanyeol smiles, and it reaches his eyes this time.

Baekhyun returns it, hugging the bear to his chest, and leads his soulmate into the living room. He notices that Yixing has moved onto Jongdae and Kyungsoo’s couch to make room for Baekhyun and the new guest.  _ Those cheeky little shits _ he thinks, sitting next to Junmyeon, and Chanyeol sitting next to him. They all continue on with their conversations like nothing has changed, which Baekhyun appreciates. 

Baekhyun lets Chanyeol sip from his champagne, ignoring the smug looks Jongdae shoots in their direction. 

By ten, his friends all start to leave in pairs, going one by one. Baekhyun thinks that they conspired to do so, especially since Sehun leaves the house still sober. Once everyone’s gone, Baekhyun moves to help his mom clean up, but she waves him off. “I think you have other matters to attend to.” She whispers conspiratorially, flicking her eyes towards Chanyeol standing around behind them, looking awkward.

“Thanks, Ma.” Baekhyun says appreciatively, kissing her cheek. He turns around to face Chanyeol. “Wanna talk in my room?”

His eyes widened. “Like your childhood bedroom? Hell yes I do.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes at his eagerness, taking the taller man’s hand and leading him up the stairs.

“Wow. Look at this.” Chanyeol marvels at the sight of Baekhyun’s room. He stares at the posters on the walls, all of famous musicians. “Who  _ are  _ these people?”

“Concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2012” Baekhyun smiles. Chanyeol gives him a weird look, turning to the twin sized bed in the corner of the room. 

“Are those… Lion King bed sheets?” He looks at Baekhyun in pretend shock.

“That movie is a masterpiece.” Baekhyun says, folding his arms defensively. “Are you just going to stand there and make fun of the choices I made as a teenager?”

“I’m not making fun of you, don’t be unfair.” Chanyeol pouts, taking a seat on the bed, patting the spot next to him. Baekhyun rolls his eyes, taking the seat. They look at each other for a few seconds, Chanyeol’s eyes flicking down to the teddy bear still in Baekhyun’s arms. “So… San Francisco huh?” He pursed his lips together. “That’s what? Five hours away?”

“I won’t go.” Baekhyun blurts out, not wanting to hold it back anymore, the waiting was killing him. 

“What?” Chanyeol’s eyebrows draw together in confusion. “Why wouldn’t you?”

“I-I,” Baekhyun takes a deep breath. “I would stay. I would stay for you.”

Chanyeol’s breath hitches. “Oh.”

“I thought about it a lot while I was up there.” Baekhyun fidgets with his fingers in his lap. “I want to be where you are, Yeol. I don’t care if it’s here, or there, or anywhere in the whole world. I want you. I-I’m ready for us, now.” Chanyeol is silent, his eyes searching. “I understand if you don’t feel the same, though-”

Chanyeol holds a hand up, digging into his coat pocket for something. He pulls out a folded up piece of paper. He unfolds it, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth. “Here.” Chanyeol hands it to him. 

“Yeol, what?” Baekhyun looks at him in confusion.

“Just read it.” He says, smiling in assurance. 

Baekhyun looks at the paper, and sees it’s a letter, from a restaurant called La Folie, based in San Francisco. Baekhyun’s head snaps up, staring at Chanyeol, mouth forming an ‘o’. Chanyeol’s smile widens, and he nods to the letter, encouraging him to keep reading. “ _ Dear Mr. Park, thank you for applying for employment at La Folie classical French restaurant, we would be delighted to offer you a position in our kitchen. Please send your response at once. _ ” 

“Chanyeol… I don’t know what to say.” Baekhyun stares at him, unfettered affection overflowing from him.

“Then say you’ll have me.” Chanyeol whispers. Baekhyun sets down the letter, folding it up neatly next to the teddy bear, turning back to Chanyeol and wrapping his arms around his neck, kissing him desperately. He feels Chanyeol smile into the kiss, their teeth clashing together awkwardly from the force. “Is that a yes?” Chanyeol murmurs between kisses, his palms making their way to the violinist’s waist, as if they’d never left.

“Yes. God, Chanyeol,  _ Yes _ .” Baekhyun cries, feeling the tears spill over as he pushes Chanyeol back onto the bed. The taller man chuckles happily, his hands traveling down to Baekhyun’s ass, kneading the flesh there.

Before things can get too heated, Baekhyun pulls back from the kiss, staring down at his soulmate, Chanyeol: the most beautiful, wonderful man he’s ever seen. “I have one question, though.” He says, caressing Chanyeol’s cheek.

“What is it?” Chanyeol’s brow furrows in concern, and Baekhyun kisses it away.

“I just want to know what your soulmate dream was, that’s all.” Baekhyun moves his hand down to rest on his soulmate’s chest.

“Oh, that.” Chanyeol smiles. God, how Baekhyun had missed that smile. “There was a little boy, and his dad, cooking together. You were very cute, you asked him to let you lick the spoon.”

“I remember that.” Baekhyun thinks back to that day. His dad had told him it would be too spicy for him to handle, but little Baekhyun insisted, and  _ boy _ was his dad right. He cried for hours after that. “I think that was the root of my picky eating.”

“It took me awhile to realize it was you.” Chanyeol admits. “I thought it was me for the longest time, I had a lot of memories like that in my grandpa’s kitchen. What was yours?”

“It was you singing,” Baekhyun leans down to press a kiss to the mole on Chanyeol’s nose, unable to resist. “The song was in Korean, and there was someone in a bed in front of you.”

Chanyeol takes a moment to think, before clarity dawns on him. “I used to sing to my sister at night when we were little. She caught a really bad case of whooping cough, she couldn’t sleep. I’m not sure about the song though, could you hum it for me?” Baekhyun nods, he has enough of the song memorized to do that. “Ah, Spring Rain by BoA. She’s a Korean singer, my grandpa loves her.”

“Mmm.” Baekhyun presses a few more kisses to the side of Chanyeol’s face, the taller sighing in content, hands squeezing the flesh of his asscheeks. “Could you sing it for me?”

“Of course.” Chanyeol whispers, taking Baekhyun’s chin and guiding their lips together. Chanyeol sings to him, holding Baekhyun close. Baekhyun watches him as he sings, and he knows he’s fallen hard. In his heart, he knows this is what his dad would want; his son to move on, his heart to heal, to let someone else in. Baekhyun is grateful that person is Chanyeol, there’s no one else he wants to share this connection with. He lays his head on Chanyeol’s chest, feeling his heart beat strongly, just for him. His soulmate.

-

Epilogue: Three Months Later

“Wow, this place is beautiful.” Chanyeol stares at the ceiling of the restaurant, eyes taking in every minute detail. “It’s  _ almost  _ as good as La Folie.” He looks back down, grinning cheekily at Baekhyun.

“Don’t push your luck.” Baekhyun warns, taking a sip from his wine glass. “The staff here are quite fond of me, they won’t hesitate to kick you out.”

Chanyeol pouts, and Baekhyun can’t help but smile at him, twining their legs together underneath the table. It’s Baekhyun’s birthday, and they decided to take a road trip back down to Arcadia to celebrate. Chanyeol’s parents were supposed to be arriving soon to meet him, and admittedly, Baekhyun was nervous. “Hey, what’s up?”

“What if your parents don’t like me?” Baekhyun frowns. “I mean, your dad is literally a genius, and I failed calculus in high school and-.”

“Chill out.” Chanyeol says. “They’ll love you, I promise. Besides, you’ve already met my mom and she liked you enough to hire you.”

“How do you know they will?” Baekhyun swirls his wine around in his glass, watching the little whirlpool form inside of it.

“Because  _ I  _ love you.” Chanyeol says casually, and Baekhyun nearly drops the glass. “What? We’ve been together for three months now, I thought you knew.”

Baekhyun chews on his lip. That was true, he did know, he saw the evidence every day in the way Chanyeol had moved to San Francisco with him as soon as they graduated in April, in the way he brought leftovers home from work every day, and the way he listened to Baekhyun practice, watching him with stars in his eyes. Beakhyun knew, because he felt it too. “I-I love you too, Yeol.”

Chanyeol’s smile looks relieved, and he leans back in his chair. “And that’s all that matters.”

Baekhyun grins from ear to ear, rubbing Chanyeol’s calf with his shoe. He was right, as usual. Sometimes things are just as simple as that. Baekhyun sends a silent thanks to whatever forces in the universe create soulmates, for bringing this man into his life, for giving Baekhyun a second chance at happiness. 

And that’s all that matters.


End file.
